


Only a Kiss

by TheWaywardSong



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Angst, Anxious Katsuki Yuuri, Bachelor AU, Balls and Masquerades, Commoner Katsuki Yuuri, Coronation, Day 1, Fluff, Grand Prix, Jean-Jacques Leroy Being an Asshole, King Victor Nikiforov, Love at First Sight, M/M, Masked Strangers, Oblivious Katsuki Yuuri, Prince Victor Nikiforov, Princess Academy AU, Royalty AU, Shotgun Wedding, Suprise Kissing, The Bachelor AU, The Selection AU, YOI Royalty Week, Yoiroyaltyweek, angsty fluff, hidden identities, lots of suprise kissing, not really angsty though, this is like the bachelor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-19
Packaged: 2019-05-06 05:50:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 34,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14635392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWaywardSong/pseuds/TheWaywardSong
Summary: Crown Prince of Terra Incognita, Victor Nikiforov is set to take over the throne on his twenty-eighth birthday. When he has yet to find a husband, ten candidates are selected to compete for the prince's hand in marriage. Among them is Katsuki Yuuri, a commoner from the smallest province in the kingdom who has been in love with the prince since he was twelve years old. His widest dreams have finally come true until an encounter at the Welcome Masquerade leaves him questioning his place in the competition.





	1. The Masquerade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's YOI ROYALTY WEEK! 
> 
> Thank you to my writing other half, [FromStarlightToDust](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fromstarlighttodust/pseuds/fromstarlighttodust) who kept me motivated as I desperately cranked this fic out over the course of the past week. Your beta work, help with ideas, and constant motivation is the reason this got done in time! All my love to you!
> 
> This will be a seven chapter story with a chapter posted every day for the seven themes of Royalty Week and is loosely based on The Selection series. 
> 
> Day 1: Balls and Masquerades  
> That fateful moment. A night to remember, a night of no pretenses. Time loses meaning as we dance the night away.

> _ Attn: Hasetsu Household _
> 
>  
> 
> _ On the twenty-fifth of December, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov will come of age to inherit the throne.  While the prince has been properly prepared for his upcoming coronation, he has yet to select a spouse to accompany him to the throne. Following in the tradition of the first prince, His Royal Highness Alexei Baranovskaya, the crown prince has elected to find his true love within his own kingdom. _
> 
> _ The kingdom of Terra Incognita is pleased to announce that a Grand Prix will be taking place from first of October, continuing until the thirtieth of November. During this time a selected candidate from each of the ten provinces will be brought to the capitol to meet His Royal Highness and will spend the following two months presenting themselves as a potential consort to the future king.  _
> 
> _ Your household is receiving this letter as the annual census indicated that you have a son between the ages of eighteen and twenty-nine. You are encouraged to submit the attached application for the honor of participating in the Grand Prix.  Please note that applications are due by the fifteenth of September and the candidates will be selected by the Welcome Masquerade set to take place on the last day of the month.  _
> 
> _ Your participation in the Grand Prix is not required, but participation is considered a great service to the kingdom of Terra Incognita and the families of the candidates will be generously compensated.  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ May the land find us in times of both strength and weakness, long live King Dmitriviech.  _
> 
> _ Yakov Feltsman _
> 
> _ Speaker of the King _
> 
>  

Yuuri read the letter once, twice, then three times over before he was able to fully process its contents. The Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov had been set to take the throne on his twenty-eighth birthday ever since the New Year’s banquet when King Dmitriviech announced his intentions to step down from the throne.  Victor was born rather late into the king’s tenure, and though it was traditional to wait until an heir’s thirtieth birthday, both the king and queen had expressed that their son was ready to lead the kingdom.

 

The Grand Prix was a tradition based on the strength of the kingdom, though most crown royals elected to marry for kingdom relations or found a suitable spouse within the capitol itself, the competition gave hope that anyone from the kingdom might have a chance to lead it.  There had not been a Grand Prix for nearly a century and not many were expecting one for their current crown prince.

 

Yuuri’s hands trembled as he lifted the first page of the letter to peak at the application below.  It asked all the standard questions: name, age, and birthdate; but went on to glean an entire life story of the applicant.

 

> _ Please list all spoken and written languages, along with level of fluency. _
> 
> _ Please indicate any special interests or skills _
> 
> _ Do you consent to a full physical examination to ensure proper health and intactment? _
> 
>  

_ Intactment _ , Yuuri read that part twice. There was no doubt that this application was not to be taken lightly and the royal council would no doubt hand pick only the most appropriate applicants to actually bring to the Capitol. Yuuri’s family ran a reasonably successful onsen in the Hasetsu province, which was mostly known for being a relatively quiet province—not recognized to be too rich or too poor compared to the others. They had no royal connections and though Yuuri’s upbringing had been just as good as anyone from the region’s, he did not find much about himself that might set him apart.

 

Still, Yuuri had long been a fan of the crown prince and had even seen him when he was just twelve years old.  As part of Victor’s debut into society at sixteen, he had traveled through the provinces performing skating routines, the phenomenal figure skater he was, and making powerful speeches about his intent to be a great leader one day.  

 

It hadn’t taken much for Yuuri to become completely smitten with the crown prince, though nearly everyone in attendance to the shows found themselves in a similar situation.  The prince was handsome, charismatic, and at the time had long silver hair that gave him an indubitable air of innocence. Ever since, Yuuri had closely followed the endeavors of the crown and kept posters of the prince hung so densely in his room that one could scarcely see the wall beneath all of them.

 

To be chosen for the Grand Prix would be a dream come true for Katsuki Yuuri.  Though he considered his own chances of actually becoming a candidate as slim to none, he brought the application with him to the supper table that evening, sliding it to his mother as she settled down on the floor.

 

“What’s this Yuuri?” Hiroko asked.  She peered at her son with a quizzical brow before removing the letter from its envelope.

 

“Pleased to announce that a…” his mother trailed off as she quietly read the contents of the letter. Her eyes couldn’t seem to find a resting place between the letter and her son before she shoved the paper into her husband’s hands.

 

“What does it say?” Mari asked, leaning over her father’s shoulder to understand her mother’s reaction.

 

“It seems there is to be a Grand Prix,” Toshiya explained softly as he thumbed through the letter to the application, “And our Yuuri will be eligible.”

 

“A Grand Prix? For Victor’s hand?” 

 

Yuuri nodded in response to his sister’s questions.  He had yet to take a bite of his food, instead staring down at his lap while his face turned a bright crimson color. His family continued to pass the letter and the included application back and forth, still working to comprehend the situation. 

 

“Intactment, huh? This application sure is thorough.” Mari snorted.  Her father nudged her and shook his head, “They have to be, any one of the candidates could be the next leader of Terra Incognita.”

 

“Is this..something you would like to do Yuuri?” His mother laid a hand on his shoulder, her brows knit together in concern as she addressed her son. 

 

Yuuri managed a nod and cleared his throat before speaking.  His family set down the letter and focused on him as he tried his best to sound clear and confident.

 

“I would like to put in my application to be a candidate in the Grand Prix.” His words came out firm, punctuated with an equally solid tap of his fist on the table.  The Katsuki clan nodded in agreement and the rest of dinner was spent speculating on who might be selected for the competition and what the crown prince might be like in person. 

 

Yuuri filled out his application that evening and began to wait. 

 

> _ "When Terra Incognita was but a small kingdom that barely stretched across the expanse of former Russia, the Crown Prince Alexei Baranovskaya was set to inherit the throne but had failed to find a match in any of the neighboring kingdoms.  Alexei believed that in order to create a foundation for true strength, his spouse should come from their own kingdom.  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ The prince travelled across the kingdom, stopping in each village to meet every townsperson of an appropriate age. It was at the end of his journey that he met the figure skater Arthur Stuart and was completely captivated by him. Prince Alexei returned to the Capitol with Arthur where they were wed and ruled together to expand the kingdom. This set forth the tradition of the Grand Prix which is still practiced on occasion today, the last of which taking place with the wedding and coronation of Queen Viktoria, for whom the current crown prince was named." _
> 
>           -excerpt from  _ Terra Incognita: Discovering the Unknown Land,  _ Lalina Zagiteva
> 
> ~♕~

 

The evening of the candidate selection, there was not a television, computer, or radio that wasn’t turned to the feed from the Capitol. The royal council had elected to make the Grand Prix an event for the entire kingdom by broadcasting segments over the course of the competition.  There had already been several check ins with the council who explained what they would be looking for in a potential royal consort and an interview with the royal historian who referred back to the story of Kings Alexei and Arthur, whose marriage started the tradition of the Grand Prix. Surprisingly, the crown prince himself had not made any appearances on the royal news feeds or otherwise since the event had been announced. 

 

There had been plenty of speculation in the local news as to who might be selected to represent the Hasetsu province in the Grand Prix. Kenjirou Minami’s name had been thrown around as he came from one of the few nobilities that resided in the province, but plenty dismissed him for having barely met the minimum age requirements.  Given that the prince was nearing twenty-eight, they speculated that the candidates chosen would be closer to the middle of the age range. 

 

A few other names had been brought into the conversation and Yuuri had been extremely surprised to hear his own name tossed around once toward the end of the waiting period. No doubt they had run out of applicants at that point. Still, as he settled on the floor in front of the couch, his family and friends gathered in the lobby of the onsen to watch the announcement, he couldn’t help but to allow himself a sliver of hope.

 

To hear his name among the candidates would surely be a mark of some fever dream, Yuuri was not handsome or particularly talented. On his application he had racked his brain to find things that might set himself apart from the other applicants. For special skills he made sure to include his skating, something he and Victor had in common despite the fact Yuuri’s nerves had kept him from pursuing it competitively.  Unfortunately he wouldn’t be surprised if more accomplished skaters beat him out, since they would no doubt be a better match for the talented prince. 

 

“They’re starting!” Yuuko called out, clapping her hands furiously. She had tucked herself into the corner of the couch alongside Mari and the triplets, all of whom had their eyes glued to the television set. 

 

Celestino Cialdini, an esteemed TV and radio personality who often covered the royal news, had been selected as the correspondent for the Grand Prix.  He had already hosted the various check ins from the moment the letters were sent out and now he stepped onto the screen in a crisp blue suit with his hair pulled back in his signature ponytail. He adjusted the lilly tucked in his jacket pocket, the national flower of Terra Incognita, and smiled brightly at the camera. 

 

“Hello, and welcome kingdom of Terra Incognita!  My name is Celestino Cialdini and I will be your host over the course of what will surely shape up to be the most impressive Grand Prix to date!”

 

He paused for a large applause from the live audience, which consisted mainly of the nobility residing in the Capitol, before continuing.

 

“I will be announcing the carefully selected ten candidates tonight for the first time ever, not even the candidates themselves have been informed of the selection.  For those of you who hear your names announced this evening, please do not fret. Your royal advisor will arrive soon to prepare you for your debut at next week’s Welcome Masquerade!

 

Now, please welcome the man of the hour, His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov!”

 

Celestino gestured towards the side of the stage and the cameras followed, panning over to where the prince walked onstage. Victor looked as handsome as physically possible, his silver hair and bright blue eyes popped under the bright studio lights. The prince was absolutely regal in his violet suit, pressed so perfectly that one could cut themselves on the defined creases. 

 

“Stop drooling, little brother,” Mari scolded. Yuuri quickly closed his mouth, which had hung agape without his permission upon seeing the prince’s entrance. 

 

The stage was set up just like an evening talk show, and after shaking Celestino’s hand, Victor settled into the solitary leather armchair across from the host’s desk. It took the audience several minutes to calm down. The applause for the crown prince continued to roar after he was seated, punctuated with whoops and cheers from a few rowdier audience members. The prince had a smile frozen on his face as he waved to the audience and the cameras and Yuuri briefly wondered if the smile was as genuine as the prince made it seem. 

 

“Your Grace, in just a moment we will be learning the names of the ten candidates who will move in to the palace after the masquerade next week—and one of these ten men will be your future husband, how does that feel?” Celestino leaned over the desk, his own press smile emblazoned across his face as his brows knit together in earnest. 

 

Victor barely took a moment before rattling off his practiced answer, “I am excited to meet each one of the candidates and have no doubt that the council has selected the best representatives for me to have the pleasure of knowing. I have always found the story of King Alexei and his beloved Arthur to be one of the greatest love stories that Terra Incognita ever told.  I hope to be able to find my own love like that over the course of the Grand Prix.”

 

Celestino nodded and folded his hands on the desk. “True love is a wonderful thing, but as you are set to take the throne in a matter of months your marriage will also help to define the kingdom over the course of your reign. That puts a lot of responsibility on your choice. Have you thought about what you will be looking for as you get ready to meet these men?”

 

“Well, I would hope that the man I marry will be as devoted to Terra Incognita as I am.  I hope that he truly loves this land and will be ready to help guide us forward over the coming years.”

 

“Right, right,” Celestino responded, though the host didn’t seem too preoccupied with the prince’s answer as he moved right along. 

 

“Well folks, I believe that the time has come to announce the candidates for this year’s Grand Prix.” The host paused as the music began to swell and the audience fell silent, as did those gathered in the onsen’s lobby.  The tension was palpable as the television cut to images of snow covered mountains and grand buildings constructed from glass. “Our first candidate, from the northern province of Ottawa...Jean-Jacques Leroy, Duke of Montreal and a prominent skating competitor!”

 

A professional portrait of the duke appeared on the television and Yuuri felt as if the man’s gaze burned right through to television to where he sat. JJ was a well-known name to just about anyone who followed crown politics even remotely. He was a safe choice and no doubt someone that the council highly favored given his duke status. The camera flicked to the crown prince and if he was surprised at the selection, his countenance masked it perfectly. 

 

This was how the remainder of the program went, though occasionally Celestino interrupted the process to ask Victor’s thoughts on the latest candidate. The prince plastered on his best press smile and had plenty of polite, noncommittal comments to offer that would in no way give any candidate a seeming advantage over another. 

 

“From the province of Bangkok...Phichit Chulanont, heir of the Cricetinae media empire.”

 

Victor nodded politely, his smile looking more fragile as each name was called out.  The tension remained in the lobby of the onsen until the television showed images of Hasetsu.

 

“Look!” Axel called out, scrambling from the couch to place a hand on the television. Her sisters followed suit as Loop giggled excitedly, “There’s the Ice Castle!”

 

“Girls, sit down!” Yuuko called out as Celestino’s voice chimed in. 

 

“From the quiet province of Hasetsu...Katsuki Yuuri, the humble darling of the heartlands!”

 

“Did he say—” Mari sputtered. Every eye in the room turned to look at Yuuri, who remained perfectly still with his knees hugged to his chest. His eyes were glazed over, still fixed on the screen as it panned across images of the next province. 

 

Hiroko shared a worried glance with Yuuko before the latter peeled herself from the couch and made her way to the rug. 

 

“Yuuri,” Yuuko approached Yuuri quietly and laid a hand on his shoulder as she searched his face for any sort of response. “You’re going to be in the Grand Prix...with Victor Nikiforov.”

 

> “ _ Once the candidates have been selected for the Grand Prix they will be given at least one week with an advisor assigned by the royal council. During this time, it is the responsibility of the candidate and the advisor to adequately prepare. A full physical examination as well as a complete grooming session should occur before attendance to the Welcome Ball.  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ Candidates will receive a temporary wardrobe during their stay at the Grand Palace, and will be expected to be dressed and groomed appropriately for all Grand Prix events—including any external event attended by invitation of the crown royal. Candidates are expected to bring their own wardrobe for standard day and sleep attire.” _
> 
> _ — _ excerpt from  _ The Grand Prix: Terra Incognita’s Royal Tradition _ , Nathen Chan

~♕~

 

The week that led to the Welcome Masquerade in a blur. Yuuri’s royal advisor for the Grand Prix was a middle-aged woman named  Minako Okukawa. At a glance she looked almost delicate, she had been an accomplished ballerina and her lithe feminine form did not represent the fire of her tongue. 

 

“I’ll be your go to for this entire competition. Someone looks at you wrong? I’ll take care of it. You need something? You tell me. I’ll take care of it.” While the woman has meant to be reassuring, Minako’s habit of shouting her words made her statements come off as more of a threat.

 

Yuuri didn’t dare cross her and followed the instructions he was given to a T. He received his physical examination, spent an entire day practicing his speech for his departure day from Hasetsu, and was subject to a complete overhaul of his current wardrobe.

 

“What is this?” Minako shouted pulling a hanger from Yuuri’s closet.

 

“A...tie?” Yuuri replied timidly as his advisor thrust the strip of cloth in front of his face.

 

“No, we will get you a better tie. The prince would burn this tie if he saw it.” Minako threw the tie on the increasingly large pile of clothes that Yuuri was not to wear during his time at the palace. 

 

On the day of the masquerade ball, Minako arrived at nine o’clock on the dot with a handful of stylists from the Capitol. After a polite greeting to the Katsukis, she unleashed her team on Yuuri. 

 

He was scrubbed from top to bottom before he was dressed in his formal attire. The masquerade clothes were to represent each candidate’s province and being from Hasetsu, the heartland province, Yuuri’s outfit for the ball was a relatively simple one. 

 

The team of stylists dressed him in tight black slacks and a slim fitting blue blouse, his waist cinched with a swatch of golden fabric. Minako allowed him to wear the dress boots he owned after a thorough polishing, but insisted on a silken indigo cape that secured to one shoulder. It made Yuuri feel a bit like a child, back in the days when he would pretend to be a knight with a blanket fastened around his neck, but Minako insisted it made him look regal.

 

He managed to escape most of the makeup, opting for natural look of foundation and gloss. His hair was slicked back with a pomade which he was explicitly told not to touch, a direction that only drew his hands upward. Yuuri was in the middle of another nervous check to his hair when Mila smacked his hand.

 

“Enough of that,” she chided. The woman gave him another once over and the satisfaction of her smile reflected in her eyes. “You look ready. How do you feel?”

 

“Nervous.” Yuuri sighed. He tried to give her his most convincing smile and was surprised when Minako tossed her head back in laughter.

 

She gave him a firm clap on the shoulder and took his face in her hands. “Yuuri,” she began with a gentle purr, “Out of all the candidates I could have chosen for this competition, I put my faith in you. Do you know why that is?”

 

She didn’t wait for a response before continuing. “I grew up in Hasetsu. I know what it’s like to not expect much of yourself, but we are a proud province and I believe that you could be exactly what the crown prince needs.”

 

Minako patted his cheeks affectionately before reaching into a satchel on the floor. She removed a simple silver mask, a solid piece designed to cover the right side of Yuuri’s face. She pressed it securely to his face, the adhesive cool on his cheeks as she gave them a firm pat.

 

“Have a little faith in yourself, Yuuri. You earned it.”

 

> **_Welcome to the Palace:_ **
> 
> **_Grand Prix Candidates Arrive at the Capitol_ **
> 
> _     Shomo Onu, The Weekly Crown _
> 
> _ And we’re off! The ten announced candidates for the Grand Prix have arrived at the castle, and  _ The Weekly Crown _ will be giving you the exclusives on all the latest gossip. We will get our first footage of the candidates as they arrive for tonight’s Welcome Masquerade, in the meantime let’s get to know our possible future king consorts: _
> 
> ** _Cao Bin_ ** _ — Beijing Province _
> 
> ** _Emil Nekola_ ** _ — Prague Province _
> 
> ** _Guang Hong Ji_ ** _ — Hong Kong Province _
> 
> ** _Jean-Jacques Leroy_ ** _ — Ottawa Province _
> 
> ** _Leo de la Iglesias_ ** _ — Washington Province _
> 
> ** _Michele Crispino_ ** _ — Rome Province _
> 
> ** _Otabek Altin_ ** _ — Astana Province _
> 
> ** _Phichit Chulanont_ ** _ — Bangkok Province _
> 
> ** _Seung-Gil Lee_ ** _ — Seoul Province _
> 
> ** _Katsuki Yuuri_ ** _ — Hasetsu Province _
> 
>  
> 
> **_Click to Subscribe_ **

 

~♕~

_ Have a little faith in yourself, Yuuri. _

 

Minako’s words came back to Yuuri as he fiddled with his cape. His departure speech from Hasetsu had been met with plenty of applause and the cheers of the province left no doubt as to who they wanted as the prince’s groom. The governor of Hasetsu gave Yuuri a pendant shaped like a Chrysanthemum, the provincial flower, as a token of luck for the competition. He tucked it in the folds of his belt, securing it with a firm pat.

 

The red carpet to the masquerade went as well as could be expected, Yuuri repeated a few lines from his speech when prompted and was able to make it the entire way to the palace without tripping on his cape. Now safely tucked in the corner beside a fountain of champagne, Yuuri had resigned himself to watching the nobility interact with the other candidates—not that he knew who anyone was under their masks.

 

Yuuri nursed a glass of champagne, by his count it was his third glass. He was so preoccupied with his current occupation as a wallflower that he failed to notice the man approaching him until he felt his touch. The man tapped his hand gently, unfurling it from around the cape, “You shouldn’t do that to silk, I hear the wrinkles are horrible to get out.”

 

Startled, Yuuri nearly dropped his champagne as he let go of the fabric. His eyes darted to those of his newfound company and was met with sparkling blue eyes that twinkled with mirth beneath an intricate gold mask.

 

“You don’t look as though you’re enjoying the ball,” the stranger remarked, corners of his lips turning down.

 

“No—no! I mean yes! I mean—” Yuuri could feel his face turning colors as he struggled to maneuver his own tongue. “I’ve never been to such a grand event, my home is in Hasetsu and our parties are...less extravagant.”

 

“Ah,” the stranger nodded, asking no further questions. He bowed to Yuuri and extended a single gloves hand. “Perhaps a dance might make you feel more at home?”

 

The Yuuri who arrived at the beginning of the night would have declined the stranger’s invitation, more than content to stand by the wall and continue to watch the commotion. However his champagne consumption left a small buzz in the back of his head along with an ample serving of courage. He took the stranger’s hand and allowed himself to be brought onto the dance floor.

 

The current dance was a waltz, something Yuuri was unfamiliar with, but the stranger seemed more than capable as he placed a hand on Yuuri’s waist and began to lead them across the floor.

 

The pair swayed to the music, Yuuri easily finding his steps alongside his partner. As he grew comfortable with the motion of the dance, he allowed himself to drink in the stranger’s appearance, almost as if noticing him for the first time.

 

The stranger must have been nobility, Yuuri could guess this from his clothes alone. A fitted violet ensemble threaded through with crystal, gleaming caps on his shoulders with a chain attached to one side, no doubt made of solid gold given the brilliance in which they shone. It was his hair that puzzled the Hasetsu native, for the stranger wore it in a similar style as the prince: short save for the long bangs that brushed over one eye. His hair was even the same color as Victor’s, a silver that matched Yuuri’s half-mask.

 

_ Surely this isn’t Prince Victor _ , Yuuri wondered as he continued to allow the stranger to lead him into the next dance. His curiosity, with the aid of the champagne no doubt, finally won as he leaned forward to whisper in his partner’s ear. 

 

“Your hair, it looks just like the crown prince’s.”

 

“You’re not wrong,” admitted the stranger, color blooming at the tip of his ears. “It’s a popular style here in the Capitol—everyone wants to look like His Royal Highness.”

 

“The color?”

 

“Natural. It does help complete the look, does it not?”

 

Yuuri nodded, receiving a warm smile from the stranger which he returned in kind. As the final notes of the song began to fade, Yuuri felt a tug on his hand as his partner led him from the floor.

 

The man retreated back to the champagne fountain where he plucked two glasses from the table beside it. “Would you care for some fresh air?” He inquired as he extended a glass to Yuuri, who accepted it with a nod.

 

The smile on the stranger’s face was near dangerous as he took Yuuri’s hand once more and led him from the ballroom. The pair made their way through several corridors before they found the balcony.

 

A soft evening breeze tickled Yuuri’s skin and played with the few strands of hair broken free from the pomade. He inhaled and found he could smell the soft fragrance of the lilies growing in the royal garden, as well as the heady musk of the stranger beside him.

 

“I like dancing, but there’s nothing more refreshing than the evening air,” the stranger mused. He had stationed himself on the edge of the balcony, leaned against the railing as his eyes cast out to the mountains in the distance.

 

“It makes me miss home,” Yuuri admitted, taking a few tentative steps to join the man on the rail.

 

“Tell me about your home.” The stranger begged. He took one of Yuuri’s hands in his own gloved grasp, blue eyes peeking from under the mask to meet Yuuri’s dark orbs.

 

“Hasetsu is small, quiet, and nothing like the Capitol.” Yuuri began, pausing for a breath before he continued. “My family runs an onsen there, not too far from the beach. It’s the most brilliant thing to watch the ocean waves roll under the stars and no matter where you go in town, the air smells of the sea.”

 

“Do you enjoy the stars?” 

 

Once again their eyes met and Yuuri thought he could see the stars in the depths of blue that drew him in. “I’ve always loved the stars,” Yuuri didn’t notice how soft his voice became, or how much fear he held in his heart. The fear of being so far from home, of disappointing the hundreds of people who sent him off with cheers of faith, of meeting the prince—his idol—and the possibility of being rejected. Looking into the stranger’s eyes was the first time that day that he felt brave, though perhaps that was the effects of the champagne. 

 

A gloved hand snaked over his as they clung to the railing of the balcony and soon Yuuri was pulled into a snug embrace. One hand found his waist, “Will you dance with me under the stars this evening?”

 

“There’s no music,” Yuuri whispered, as if his voice might shatter the dream—for a handsome masked man inviting him to dance on a palace balcony was certainly a dream. 

 

Pulling Yuuri in tighter, the stranger began to hum a soft tune as he guided his partner in small steps. The light from the stars shone down on the pair as they gently swayed, neither’s eyes leaving the countenance of the other before they became so entranced with one another that their movements stilled. Softly, in a fleeting moment that couldn’t have been real, Yuuri touched the edge of the stranger’s mask with a single finger. 

 

“It’s not fair that you should be able to see half my face when I can’t see an inch of yours.” 

 

His partner balked at the statement, fear visible in his eyes as Yuuri’s fingers continued to trace the mask. He allowed a fingertip dip under the mask where it fit to the man’s cheekbone, leaving only the expanse of his chin and lips exposed to Yuuri’s sight. Before he could remove it, the stranger dipped down and caught Yuuri’s lips to create a distraction. 

 

Distracting it was, a current of electricity traveling from the top of his skull down to his curling toes as Yuuri’s tentative lips began to match the insistence of his partner. Two gloved hands gripped his waist, pulling him in closer as their lips mimicked the dance from before. Yuuri’s lips screamed for more, his body screamed in wanting, and in the back of his mind something screamed louder than all his sensations combined. 

 

_ Prince Victor.  _ Yuuri remembered the reason he had been invited to the ball in the first place. A wave of remorse washed over him. He pulled away at once, pushing the stranger’s chest away from him. Thick and palpable, a tension was evident as both men stared at each other, drawing breaths they had missed in their moment of passion.

 

“I—I shouldn’t be here,” admitted Yuuri.  Their eyes met once more, the stranger’s brows raised in surprise at Yuuri’s swift change in tune. “I’m a candidate for the Grand Prix.  I appreciate your company, but I must return to the ball. If Minako found me out here, why she would—”

 

The stranger removed his glove and pressed a single finger to the other man’s lips, silencing his explanations, a melancholy smile reaching sorrowful eyes. 

 

“To part is such sweet sorrow,” the man whispered, his voice carried on the wind to meet Yuuri’s ear. “I understand all too well the responsibility of the palace. You should return to the ball before your advisor notices you’re missing. Please—accept my apologies for stealing you away.”

 

Yuuri’s heart strained at the stranger’s words and there was a dangerous part of him that still felt reluctant to leave. Still, he feared the consequences of staying another minute and bowed to take his leave. 

 

The stranger gave a small bow in return as Yuuri turned on his heels and ran from the balcony. He could barely catch his breath after he sprinted through the corridors, cape trailing behind him. He spotted Minako chatting amiably near the champagne fountain where he first met his company for the evening and she did not appear to know that her ward was already sneaking off with other men. 

 

Guilt pooled in Yuuri’s stomach as he retreated to the edge of the dance floor, back to where he belonged. Minako caught his eye and offered an encouraging wave, which he met with a feigned smile. He was disappointed in himself, his entire province was counting on him to win the heart of the prince and instead he was running off with masked strangers.

 

Masked strangers who had lovely blue eyes and a heart shaped smile. Masked strangers who smelled like lilly gardens and danced with Yuuri as if there was no one else to take his place.

 

Yuuri shook the thoughts out of his head, this was no time to be thinking like that. To motivate himself he recalled his departure from Hasetsu, the crowds cheering for him, his parents and Mari watching him proudly, and the pendant from the governor who had more faith in Yuuri than he did.

 

He patted his hip, feeling for the cool metal of the pendant. Yuuri’s hands continued searching but his heart had already dropped to his stomach—

 

His pendant was missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank YOU so much for taking the time to read this, I am so excited to share the rest of this story with you and you can look forward to the next chapter tomorrow.
> 
> Be sure to come find me on my Tumblr, [TheWaywardSong](https://thewaywardsong.tumblr.com/) where I will be posting some art for this fic as well as getting really excited about the rest of Royalty Week!
> 
> Just a quick note about this chapter:
> 
> Intactment - So I wanted to clarify that this is a technical term for virginity, it just felt a little more clinical like what would be in a formal letter from the palace.
> 
> I cannot wait to hear what you all think of this fairytale!


	2. The Lily Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Katsuki Yuuri’s first few weeks in the palace, he is certain that he has no place in the Grand Prix. Realizing he is the lone commoner amongst nobles, Yuuri struggles to merely speak to the prince. Overcome one night by a fear of failure, Yuuri flees to the royal lily garden where he finds himself with unexpected company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOI Royalty Week  
> Day 2: Star-Crossed  
> Family rivalries, opposing countries in war, differences in social position. We may be separated by circumstance, but we are united by something deeper.

> _ “Any of the Grand Prix candidates have the chance become the next member of the royal family and will assume the responsibilities that accompany such a position. While they may never have to lead the kingdom by themselves, it is important that the future bride or groom be properly prepared for their position in the palace. _
> 
>  
> 
> _ Candidates will undergo an extensive training during their time in the palace, in the event that they are selected to become the next royal spouse. Etiquette, geography, royal history, economics, law, and public speaking are just a few of the courses outlined for a traditional Grand Prix. _
> 
>  
> 
> _ A moderator will be selected by the currently reigning king or queen in order to facilitate the education of the potential royals. While coursework may not be removed from the plan, the moderator is at liberty to add to the education as well as schedule extra events for the benefit of the competition.” _
> 
> __ —excerpt from  _ The Grand Prix: Terra Incognita’s Royal Tradition _ , Nathen Chan

 

Not knowing what to expect during the competition was both Yuuri’s greatest asset and simultaneously his greatest weakness.  It was easy enough for him to do as he was told without question and he had expressed at least some prowess for learning the etiquette, politics, and other lessons that he and the rest of the candidates had to sit through on a daily basis. However, he seemed at a particular disadvantage when it came to his own preparation.  

 

The first day when Yuuri joined the rest of the candidates at breakfast, he was shocked to find that the other nine men were already dressed in attire that would have passed at any Hasetsu party, with their hair styled so not a strand was out of place.  By contrast, Yuuri had just woken up and arrived to the dining table in a loose tunic and athletic pants; his hair had not an ounce of product in it and he had traded in his contacts from the night before in favor of his thick-framed glasses.

 

Flushing, Yuuri had tried to hide his face in the buffet of food set before them, only to find that most of the other candidates had taken modest portions and were eating their breakfast with manners appropriate for if the crown prince himself had joined them. The rest of the day would have likely followed in kind had it not been for Phichit Chulanont. 

 

Sunshine of the Bangkok province and heir to the Cricetinae Media Empire, Phichit was the first candidate to initiate conversation with Yuuri. In their etiquette lesson that first afternoon they were instructed to pair up—an assignment which struck fear into Yuuri’s fragile heart—it was Phichit who rescued him from what would have surely been a terribly awkward interaction between Yuuri and whomever happened to be left over once the others paired up. Phichit’s enthusiastic, if not a bit assertive personality pulled Yuuri as far out of his shell as he could go attempting to learn something as foreign as palace etiquette. 

 

“So for the salad course I use...this fork?”

 

Yuuri’s hand hovered over the silverware as he daintily selected the smallest fork at the table, his touch as hesitant as his words. Phichit nodded and clapped his hands together. “Good job Yuuri! See? You’ll be wooing the prince with your etiquette in no time.”

 

Running his hands through his unstyled hair, Yuuri managed a light chuckle. “This is all so different, in Hasetsu we never had to use multiple forks, or remember when to stand and when to sit, or what order to eat food in.”

 

“It wasn’t something you needed to know...nobody can blame you for that. Besides, I bet Victor will find it absolutely charming!”

 

Despite being one of his competitors, Phichit was nothing but supportive toward Yuuri even as he fumbled through the lessons throughout the week. He was still considered a noble given his family’s great fortune, but he made Yuuri feel a bit less homesick and thankful to have at least one friend in the palace. 

 

Conversely, the Duke of Montreal, Jean-Jacques Leroy—JJ as he called himself, had been nearly insufferable. Yuuri wondered if the man had any interest in the prince at all, or if he was there solely on a conquest for the throne. His narcissism made him significantly less distinguished than the other nobles as well, given his rather infuriating habit of speaking in the third person. In fact when Yuuri first met the duke at breakfast, the man had shouted, “King JJ Style!” before digging in to his scrambled eggs.

 

_ The nobles are an odd group, _ Yuuri had thought to himself. He wondered if their next etiquette lesson would discuss yelling your own name at the breakfast table, or if JJ was simply so removed from the common world that he didn’t realize the idiocy of his behavior.

 

The first few days continued in a similar manner as the first, though Yuuri had made an effort to wake earlier and be appropriately dressed before sitting at the breakfast table. He attempted to use a bit of styling gel at Minako’s encouragement, though he insisted on wearing his glasses, promising his advisor that he would put in contacts for any scheduled interactions with the prince. 

 

Lessons were plenty, as a potential future royal needed to know not only etiquette, but possess a well-rounded knowledge of geography, economics, politics, and kingdom history.  They were also made to speak in front of the other candidates on multiple occasions to improve their public speaking skills. Yuuri half-expected them to teach the candidates to walk with books on their head like he had seen in the movies. 

 

The woman in charge of the candidates, and by extension it seemed the Grand Prix itself, was a stern elder woman named Lilia Baranovskaya, the Baroness of Moscow.  Lilia was the aunt of Victor’s mother, the queen, making her a present relative resolved to keep the traditions of the crown and kingdom intact. It was she who informed the candidates of their first meeting with His Royal Highness and gave them explicit instructions on how to dress and behave. 

 

“Remember that aside from the prince himself, there will be cameras watching your every motion. Though you do not yet possess a title, you are considered representatives of the crown and must behave as such at  _ all _ times.” 

 

Yuuri swore her eyes rested on him as she put extra emphasis on “all.” She had seen Yuuri’s appearance at the first palace breakfast but he briefly wondered if she knew about the night of the Welcome Masquerade and his encounter with the masked stranger.  Despite his excitement of meeting the prince, Yuuri did wonder if when the Grand Prix was over and he returned home to Hasetsu, his dance partner might find him once more. After all, he certainly wouldn’t be chosen as the prince’s husband.

 

Pendant still missing, Yuuri had concluded that it must have fallen from its place in his sash when he ran from the balcony.  He romantically wondered if the stranger had found it after he left, maybe even picked it up and touched it to his lips. Perhaps the stranger had it on his window sill and gazed at the stars thinking of him, wondering just as Yuuri did. 

 

The candidate tried to keep these thoughts far from the forefront of his mind, after all he was in the palace with the opportunity to meet his idol and longtime crush the Crown Prince Victor. Every now and then, however, particularly when Baroness Baranovskaya was droning on about the dos and don’t of the palace, he let his thoughts briefly wander to his first night in the capitol.

 

It was not something he had time to dwell on, however, as he prepared for his first meeting Prince Victor. His nerves had escalated on an exponential scale from the moment Lilia made the announcement that they would take their dinner with the prince, to the second he stepped into the great room with the rest of the candidates.  To Minako’s delight, Yuuri had sought her help in order to prepare for the fateful moment.

 

Passing a mirror, Yuuri barely recognized himself in an outfit provided by the palace, far more extravagant than anything he might choose to wear himself, his hair once again stiffly styled and keeping his promise to Minako, his glasses traded for contacts. Phichit remarked that he cleaned up nicely, as did JJ however the wording had been less than kind. 

 

“Look at the piggy turning into a princess!” JJ had teased before Lilia came and retrieved them. The duke kept his unsavory behavior out of the Baroness’ line of sight, he might have been insufferable but he wasn’t a complete idiot. 

 

Yuuri tried not to pay the comments too much attention, not that he had much of a choice given that his nerves had managed to all but consume him. The candidates arrived to the dining table well before the prince, much to the chagrin of Lilia. Judging from her whispered cursing, His Royal Highness often kept people waiting. 

 

“Sorry we’re late,  _ mon cher _ .” A rich baritone filled the room as Christophe Giacometti, Hand of the Prince, stepped into the room with a flourishing bow. Lilia eyed him disapprovingly, though it was not much worse than her usual frown, and cleared her throat expectantly. 

 

“Ah, yes—”

 

“Your duty—” Lilia began, her tone clearly chastising. 

 

“Please rise, candidates, as I present to you His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov!” Christophe gave another flourish and stepped to the side as the doors parted for the prince. 

 

When Yuuri saw his idol in person for the first time since he was twelve years old, he nearly fainted on the spot. Posters of the prince covered the walls of Yuuri’s bedroom back home but nothing could compare to the real thing. His heart leapt to his throat, heavy and hot like molten lead, as Victor walked to his place at the head of the table, a press-worthy smile pasted on. 

 

His silver locks shone brightly in the light of the chandelier and his eyes twinkled with mischief, delight, and something else that Yuuri could not quite place. Posters might have done an excellent job in showing off the sharp edge of the prince’s jawline, or perhaps his perfect brow, however the Crown Prince had an air about him that filled the room. Perhaps it was the prince’s beauty, perhaps it was the warmth of the chandelier, or perhaps it was simply Yuuri’s nerves getting the best of him, as they liked to do—but his cheeks were flushed and warm, his brow dampening.

 

“Thank you for joining me this evening,” Victor began, his voice every bit as strong and regal as Yuuri had imagined. His warm accent flooded his words to the point that even the most mundane sentence could have made Yuuri’s toes curl. 

 

“I never thought I would get the opportunity to meet so many handsome men, I look forward to spending time with each of you in hopes of finding the one who I will be able to share my life with. I believe that the strength of Terra Incognita lies in the hearts of its people, people like you who stem from all walks of life.”

 

The prince’s words were just as regal as the rest of him, Yuuri wondered if it was a practiced speech like the ones he made on evening programs.  _ It must be unfortunate to have your entire life scripted for you _ , Yuuri decided.  It dawned on him that if for some reason Victor dismissed all of the nobles and rich heirs, in favor of the nobody from a heartland province—which was just a kind way to say boring—that he too might have a storybook life, speaking words written by another. He tried not to dwell on the thought too much longer, especially as the prince took his seat at the table and the food was carried out. 

 

After the meal had concluded, the candidates were invited to the sitting room in order to get acquainted with the prince. In a large wingback chair beside the blazing hearth, the prince found his place, several of the men flanking to his sides.

 

True to Lilia’s words, there were a few cameras set up on tripods no doubt waiting to capture the prince’s first meeting with his future husband. When the videos came out, the kingdom would be in an uproar as they speculated who caught Victor’s favor and who might be sent home before the Grand Prix finished. Lilia had informed them that they would have more a formal tête-à-tête this week, where it would be broadcast on Celestino’s evening program, for now it was to be a more natural meet and greet.

 

Yuuri tucked himself into a chair across the room, his nerves made him regret not having more than one glass of wine with his dinner. Though he hadn’t dared to approach the prince, it didn’t stop his gaze from locking in Victor’s direction. JJ leaned against the arm of the prince’s chair, a shark tooth grin on his face as his hands formed his initials.

 

Paper thin smile, Victor politely responded to the duke’s story, immediately directing his attention to the other men at his side as soon as there was an opportunity. Guang Hong, the youngest candidate in the Grand Prix at only twenty, blushed as he spoke to the prince.

 

His own idolization of Victor was something Yuuri was familiar with. It hadn’t dawned on him that some of his competition might have also been completely smitten with Victor, perhaps some even more so than he. He was certain JJ had submitted an application purely for a chance at the crown and while Phichit found the prince handsome, he never really expressed a true desire to fall in love with him.

 

Seeing Guang Hong flush at the prince’s attention, Yuuri’s stomach twisted away from the nerves that had rattled him during dinner into something akin to jealousy. He scanned the room, cataloging the reactions of the other candidates, nearly all attentions but his focused on the royalty in the room. 

 

He spotted Emil Nekola, perched in a chair not too far from where the prince sat, chatting amiable with Michele Crispino and Seung-Gil Lee; all three of whom watched the prince out of their peripherals. Leo de la Iglesias, another young candidate just slightly older than Guang-Hong, stood just beside the prince’s chair with an enchanted countenance. 

 

Only two of the ten candidates were unreadable. Cao Bin, who Yuuri didn’t believe had spoken a word since his arrival to the palace, had found himself a chair on the far side of the room and did not seem to be focused on the prince at all. Otabek Altin, the dark horse of the competition from the equally mysterious Astana province engaged in conversation with Phichit and Christophe, the former of which had attempted to pull Yuuri into their conversation.

 

Contemplating each individual around the room, Yuuri’s sight finally rested on the face of his prince only to find Victor’s even gaze staring back at him. The glass smile of the prince broke at the corner of his lips turning up into a genuine grin, one that reached those cerulean eyes. Yuuri was caught completely off guard and quickly diverted his gaze as crimson bloomed across his cheeks.

 

Victor tried to make his rounds through the room, making a point to greet each competitor including the reclusive Cao Bin. One had to admire the prince’s ability to stay completely poised no matter who he spoke to, especially interacting with JJ. 

 

Yuuri found the prince at his side shortly before they were sent off to bed. Aware of how the prince’s gaze always seemed to find him, Yuuri hadn’t dared to approach him first. Eyes as blue and full of life as the sun on clear waters had done nothing for the anxious churning in his stomach and he hadn’t had enough to drink to make a bold introduction. 

 

“It’s a shame we’re confined to this room, isn’t it? I much prefer the fresh air of a cool fall evening.”

 

Momentarily stunned by Victor’s near ethereal presence, Yuuri struggles to find his words as he merely nodded in agreement.

 

“You’re from the Hasetsu province, correct?”

 

The prince settled into the empty chair beside Yuuri, leaning forward so he was closer to the man currently pinning himself to the back of his chair. Yuuri’s heart skipped faster than when he first learned he had been chosen for the Grand Prix, the thump of which nearly overpowered any of his thoughts. He managed a nod but again failed to speak.

 

_ He’ll think you’re an idiot if you don’t say something, _ Yuuri scolded himself while his lips remained silent.

 

“I’ve heard it’s beautiful there, with rolling waves and air that smells of the sea.”

 

Prince Victor’s words sounded familiar, though Yuuri couldn’t place where he had heard them before. His words found him but his voice came out soft and broken, “It is...beautiful, I mean. Yes, I like it. Very much!”

 

Yuuri wondered if it was possible to die from embarrassment. His words sounded as if he was speaking English for the first time, or perhaps was some sort of robot trying to mimic human speech. He might as well have responded in Japanese, the native language in Hasetsu—though the kingdom itself had elected English as their official language. He had spoken both ever since he was a child, not that his language prowess was any help to him as he failed to be coherent.

 

To his credit, the prince did not seem put off by Yuuri’s mangled response. Silver hair fell across his eye as he cocked his head to one side and stared at the other man, his eyes evaluating and cataloguing little details. 

 

Yuuri urged himself to say something but his voice never found its way before Lilia was ushering the men from the room. “Off to bed, the lot of you. There will be plenty of time to spend with your prince tomorrow.”

 

Victor stood by the door to kiss each man’s hand as they filed out of the room. Guang Hong looked as if he might faint and Leo could not stop adjusting his brunette locks framing his face. The prince gently plucked Leo’s hand from its frantic assault on his own hair, and placed a gentle kiss on the back, accompanied with a wink.

 

“You look lovely, I assure you.”

 

Leo let out a small yip of surprise and hurried out the door, a spray of giggles could be heard in the hall. Yuuri trailed behind the rest of the men, it took nearly all of his strength to calm himself enough to get up from the chair. His hand still trembled when the prince kissed it.

 

Victor frowned, noticing the man’s tremor before lightly pressing his lips to it. His mouth lingered for a few seconds more than they had for the others, eyes rising to meet Yuuri’s. In that moment, Yuuri felt calm.

 

“Thank you, your highness.” Yuuri’s faint voice finally found its way to his lips. Blushing profusely, he ran from the room as the prince dropped his hand.

 

> **_Royal Check In: Picks for the Prince_ **
> 
> **** _ Eshlee Wagoner _ ,  _ Royal Insider _
> 
> _ The Grand Prix for the hand of Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov is well under way. After just two weeks there has already been some clear picks for fan favorites, and perhaps some favorites of the prince himself! _
> 
> **_Jean-Jacques Leroy_ **
> 
> _     It’s not surprise that Duke Jean-Jacques Leroy, JJ to his fans, has easily become a front runner of the competition. Rumors say that he has the favor of the royal council and given that he already holds a title it would be a seamless transition from duke to king consort! JJ is certainly a handsome and charming selection, but footage from the kingdom does not give indication that he’s caught the prince’s eye. _
> 
> **_Phichit Chulanont_ **
> 
> _     We would be lying if we said we weren’t rooting for the media heir and noted “Sunshine of Bangkok” to win Prince Victor’s heart. There’s no doubt that he and HRH have been chummy in the footage from the capitol, but is it enough to make this media royal a real king? _
> 
> **_Keep Reading_ **

~♕~

 

Katsuki Yuuri had lived at the palace for two weeks and in that time he was certain of three things: One, Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov was every bit as handsome and charming as Yuuri had ever imagined and he was completely smitten with him, though he was seldom able to speak in his presence.

 

Two, the mysterious stranger was still very much on his mind despite the fact he knew nothing about him. He had no clue where the man was from, what he looked like, just that he had rescued Yuuri from his night as a wallflower and had waltzed with him under the stars.

 

Three, Katsuki Yuuri knew that he had absolutely no place being in the Grand Prix. 

 

Currently, it was just past the stroke of midnight and Yuuri was kneeling in the middle of the royal lily garden, somewhere that he was nearly positive he should not be. In fact, he had snuck past the guards in nothing but his sleep tunic and loose pants, his feet bare. 

 

All the emotions he had been bottling up had come crumbling down at once, until Yuuri recognized the signs—his heavy breathing and the sweat dripping down his forehead despite the comfortable temperature of the palace. He tried throwing open a window, gasping for breath in the crisp air but his body demanded more.

 

_ Outside _ . It commanded him like a curse. Clutching a blanket around him, he snuck through the common room while the guard made his rounds and tiptoed past another who was dozing off at his post. When he finally made it to the east wing door he nearly tumbled out of it onto the lawn. The lily garden called out to him, a siren to a sailor.

 

It was here that he allowed himself to weep, anxiety breaking through the dam. He fell to his knees, not worried about the mud on his trousers as his head fell to his hands and sobs racked his shoulders. He had no reason for his tears past the pure overwhelming sensation of emotions that controlled him.

 

An hour passed, though Yuuri’s tears had subsided he remained knelt in the garden waiting for someone to spot him and remove him. He didn’t belong here, he wasn’t strong enough. He didn’t have the title like JJ, or the charm of Phichit, he didn’t even have the ability to speak to the prince without his own voice sabotaging him.

 

After the first evening he had not made significant progress in holding a conversation, nor interacting with Victor in any form. On a picnic with the prince, Yuuri had managed to spill a thermos of wine on Victor’s suit, when the group went sailing he had nearly knocked the prince into the water while attempting to secure the mast, and just that afternoon he had nearly managed to ruin his prized silver locks when Yuuri managed to get it tangled around his cufflink. A few minor incidents for certain, but the culmination of them and his inability to get past elementary sentences when addressing Victor certainly did not bode well for his attempts to marry the man.

 

Dismissing each event graciously and still making an effort to speak with Yuuri, Victor was nothing less than a saint. In every incident his first thought had been to make sure Yuuri did not carry the guilt, it wasn’t as if these were purposeful incidents. However before bed that evening, Guang Hong informed him that one of the candidates would be dismissed tomorrow. A rumor only confirmed by Lilia’s announcement that she would not be supervising their breakfast due to other matters demanding her attention. She promised they would have a discussion about some things in the late morning. 

 

_ I won’t cry when Victor tells me to return to Hasetsu _ . Yuuri didn’t believe the words he told himself but he wasn’t sure he would have any tears left to cry in the morning after he had shed them all in the garden.  He always felt peaceful after a good sob and the crisp fall air sent shivers down his spine as he laid back in the grass, his fingers tangling around the damp blades. He could hear the rustling of leaves and the sound of water, from a fountain somewhere in the royal gardens. Eyes closed, Yuuri failed to notice when he was no longer alone. 

 

“Yuuri?”

 

The man shot up with a start at the sound of his name, his tear-dried bleary eyes searching for the source of the voice as he reached to adjust his glasses. Making his way through the thicket, absolutely devastating as the moonlight illuminated his perfect features, the crown prince made his way toward Yuuri in the dark.

 

Yuuri scrambled to his feet as the prince drew close. With a quizzical look on his brow Victor closed the gap between them and set his hands on the man’s shoulders. Yuuri had still not said a word, his brain rapid-fired directions.  _ Run. Say something! Run! Do anything! _

 

“Yuuri what are you doing out here?”

 

Yuuri reached forward and snatched the fabric of Victor’s nightshirt, pulling it towards him and in that moment he was certain of three things. 

 

One, the prince of Terra Incognita had found him lying in the royal garden, in the middle of the night, in his nightclothes and he would be sent home in the morning.

 

Two, the Crown Prince looked divinely handsome when he was disheveled in his night clothes with the moon making his every feature ethereal and it was impossibly unfair to everyone in the entire kingdom. 

 

Three—and this was the most important one

 

Katsuki Yuuri was kissing Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! Royalty Week Day 2!  
> For this chapter I really wanted to focus on the differences between Yuuri and the other candidates, since he is the only person not considered a noble in the competition. 
> 
> The theme might be star-crossed, but I suppose you could say Yuuri was star-“struck” to meet the man he’s had a crush on for so long! 
> 
> Thank you all for your support on this story so far, I have loved the comments and I can’t wait to hear what you think of this chapter!
> 
> Be sure to come find me on [Tumblr](https://thewaywardsong.tumblr.com) as well where I’ve posted some chapter art!


	3. The Chrysanthemum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri remains oblivious to what’s right in front of him. There’s only one thing that might open his eyes and thankfully it’s in the possession of the crown prince.
> 
> In which Yuuri has a habit of kissing princes and Prince Victor (for the first time in his life) has been too subtle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOI Royalty Week  
> Day 3: Tokens Of Favour  
> A flower, dropped at an event. A present, delivered to the doorstep. Messages — of all mediums — connecting us even when we aren’t together.

> “ _ Candidates must remember that they are representatives of the crown for the duration of the Grand Prix. As such, they should refrain from any intimate advances that have not been initiated by the crown royal. This includes but is not limited to: embracing, kissing, and any touches excluding those to the hands, arms, and shoulders.  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ Candidates who do not abide by these rules are eligible for immediate dismissal at the request of the crown royal. However the candidate will not be dismissed so long as consent is given by both involved parties. Public displays of affection should be kept to an absolute minimum until a candidate has been officially selected, as no relationship can occur until the Grand Prix has concluded. _
> 
>  
> 
> _ Should the crown royal engage in any physical intimacies with a candidate that are unwanted, the candidate may request to be removed from the competition.” _
> 
> _ — _ excerpt from  _ The Grand Prix: Terra Incognita’s Royal Tradition _ , Nathen Chan

 

When he was twelve years old, Katsuki Yuuri saw the crown prince of Terra Incognita for the first time. At sixteen his idolization of the man had become a full fledged crush on the future king and though he would never admit it, he had pressed his lips to the posters on his bedroom wall on more than one occasion. At twenty-two he was standing in royal lily garden, bathed in moonlight with mud on his pants, kissing Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov.

 

The most startling thing about the situation, was Yuuri swore Victor was kissing him back.

 

It had been a rash decision. Yuuri hadn’t known what he was about to do until it was already done. He told himself to run, or beg the prince not to send him home, or save his dignity and send himself home. Perhaps it was his latent feelings for the prince that had surfaced and driven his actions, but it certainly wasn’t Yuuri’s intention to be kissing the man he had barely been able to speak to. 

 

Their lips remained pressed together for a few drawn out seconds, minutes to Yuuri’s floundering head, before the prince drew back. Victor’s cerulean gaze met Yuuri’s dark eyes and for a brief moment neither spoke a word, Yuuri’s hands still tangled in the prince’s tunic. 

 

“I—I’m sorry. I didn’t—I mean I did but I didn’t mean to. You startled me!” 

 

Over the past two weeks Yuuri’s inability to find his voice around the prince had proved to be his detriment. Breaking through the dam of his own insecurity, his words flowed so quickly they verged on incoherent as he tried to make amends for his actions. He had kissed the crown prince. He had barely been able to muster up the courage to speak to the man and now he had gone and kissed him. 

 

“Tell me Yuuri, do you often go around kissing people when you’re startled?”

 

Victor’s voice was calm, much to Yuuri’s chagrin. The prince cocked his head to the side, his silver hair falling flush against his brow as he surveyed the man in front of him. It took Yuuri a moment to realize that the prince’s question was not rhetorical and he was awaiting an answer. 

 

“N—no, never! I just…” He had no explanation to offer and let his words fade into the breeze of the evening. A chill ran up his spine as the air iced over his feet and trousers, both dampened with the midnight dew. 

 

Victor’s mouth pressed into a firm line. It was an expression Yuuri hadn’t seen on the prince’s face before and the adrenaline still coursing through him fueled his worry as to what that face could mean.

 

“Yuuri, I think we need to talk about a few things but please, it’s October can we go inside the palace?”

 

Nodding, Yuuri followed Victor through the palace doors and into a sitting room just off the corridor. The guard standing at the door raised an eyebrow at the pair but only nodded when the prince asked him to start a fire in the hearth. Neither man uttered a word as Victor pulled Yuuri down onto the rug near the fireplace and wrapped a blanket around his shoulders. 

 

“What were you doing out there? You’ll catch your death lying in damp gardens like that.”

 

“I needed fresh air and then...well I just felt peaceful out there.”

 

Victor’s look of disbelief softened as he pulled another blanket around his own shoulders, settling onto the rug across from Yuuri. “It is peaceful out there, isn’t it? I used to sneak out myself when I was a boy but I had the sense to do it in the summer and not lay in the wet grass.”

 

Blushing, Yuuri failed to respond.  _ How foolish he must think I am, sneaking out of bed like a child. _ However, was it not Victor himself who had ventured out to the same garden and found him?

 

“You were in the garden too. That’s how you found me.”

 

“True.” Victor chewed his lip thoughtfully as if contemplating an excuse. “I have trouble sleeping sometimes, a walk helps to clear my head. Sometimes I take Makkachin with me, you haven’t met her yet, she keeps to the north wing of the castle where my room is.” The prince paused a moment before his heart-shaped smile overtook his face, “I should bring her to your wing sometime, to meet everyone! Makkachin is a  _ very _ good judge of character!”

 

Yuuri managed a weak smile but knew he would be sent home in the morning and not have a chance to meet Makkachin. His lip trembled, the hot tears welling in his eyes—a shocking development given that he had spent most of his tears earlier in the night. Victor pressed a finger to Yuuri’s cheek, catching the first tear as it fell.

 

“Yuuri, why are you crying?”

 

“I know that I’m being sent home tomorrow. I spilled wine on your suit! I nearly drowned you! Why I—I’ve barely been able to speak to you since I arrived! I’m not exactly king consort material.” Yuuri’s words tumbled along with his tears, punctuated with soft gasps as he struggled for a breath through the sobs. 

 

Saying nothing, Victor leaned forward and pulled Yuuri into an embrace. Knelt by the fire, the crown prince held the Hasetsu candidate to his chest and let his tears soil his nightshirt. Yuuri was too distraught to protest and found himself wrapping his hands in the soft material as he wept. 

 

As the man’s tears began to subside, Victor ran his slender fingers through the mess of Yuuri’s hair, smoothing it the best he could. He moved his hands to the other’s shoulders and looked through the blue frames into the eyes behind them. 

 

“Yuuri, you’re not going home. I don’t know where you got that idea from.”

 

“I—I’ve done nothing but embarrass myself since I stepped through the palace door! I kissed the crown prince without his permission!”

 

Victor hummed at this, a smile playing on his lips that parted into a chuckle. “Oh dear, it seems we have more to discuss than I first thought.” He interrupted himself with a glance at the grandfather clock, ticking away the hours til dawn. “Yuuri, I’d like you to try and get some sleep. Can you do that for me?”

 

Still sniveling, Yuuri managed a nod as he pulled the blanket tighter around him. His eyes had begun to droop, just enough to betray his exhaustion. Victor pulled himself to his feet and extended a hand to assist Yuuri. Once the two were standing, their hands remained intertwined as the prince walked the other back to his quarters in the east wing of the palace.

 

Upon reaching the candidate’s quarters, Victor pressed his lips gently to Yuuri’s forehead and released his hand. 

 

“Thank you,” Yuuri murmured, his hand on the door to his room. 

 

Victor grinned in response and it occurred to Yuuri that the prince’s expressions had been nothing short of genuine that evening, a far cry from his usual glass smile that always looked poised and perfect like the rest of him. 

 

“I enjoyed getting to speak with you Yuuri, I wondered if I’d get the chance again. Sleep well.”

 

Hand on the door of his room, Yuuri smiled before his brow knit together.  _ Again? _ He wondered at the prince’s word choice but did not have the chance to clarify before Victor retreated down the corridor. Perhaps he misheard, he attributed it to the exhaustion and entered his bedchamber. 

 

For the first time since he arrived at the palace, Prince Victor made an appearance in Yuuri’s dreams. 

 

> **_10 Candidates Dwindle to 9:_ **
> 
> **_Will HRH find love in the Grand Prix?_ **
> 
> _ — Maria Nagasi, The Royal Insider _
> 
> _ Just a little over two weeks after the start of the Grand Prix for His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov’s hand in marriage, one candidate has removed himself from the competition. Cao Bin, the candidate from the province of Beijing has elected to leave the palace and return home. Though the candidate could not be reached for comment, a source from the palace says that the chemistry was just not there between the Cao Bin and the prince.  _
> 
> _ The question that everyone wants to know now is who  _ is  _ having chemistry with the prince? Despite the fact that much of the Grand Prix has been made public on Celestino Cialdini’s evening show  _ Ciao Ciao Chat,  _ where we have even seen some footage of the prince’s first dinner with his ten dates, there has not been a clear favorite. Could it be that none of the selected candidates will be chosen as Prince Victor’s Groom? _
> 
> **_Keep Reading_ **

-*-

 

After his late night, Yuuri was thankful Lilia was occupied with the dismissal of Cao Bin and was not there to see him coming in late to breakfast with mud from the garden dried to the bottom of his pants. Most of the candidates were preoccupied with eating and gossiping about Cao Bin to notice, but when he slid into the open chair beside Phichit his eagle eyes friend spotted his puffy eyes and dirty trousers. 

 

“Yuuri,” he whispered, so as not to draw attention, “You look as though you’ve been crying, there is mud on your pants, and you’re late. Something going on?”

 

Focusing his attention on the platter of bacon in front of him, Yuuri shook his head and waved his hand to dismiss the question. “Later,” he mouthed as he took a bite of a crispy strip. 

 

Phichit eyed his friend carefully but made the decision not to push any further. There was plenty else to talk about and they quickly fell on the most popular topic of the morning: the missing candidate. 

 

Guang Hong knew the details, as the two had spoken just the day before, which meant he had the attention of all eight men. “He said he didn’t feel anything for the prince and didn’t want to waste the crown’s time. He told Lilia last night before dinner and then told Prince Victor himself that he would be leaving the competition!”

 

The group shared a gasp at the audacity, unable to imagine telling the  _ crown prince _ that they felt nothing for him. Shocked as they were, the group came to agreement that Cao Bin had done the noble thing. Emil held his glass over the floor and pretended to “pour one out” for their lost candidate. 

 

Everyone burst into laughter, even Michele who had the tendency to be wound a bit tighter than the rest. Yuuri felt much better than he had the night before, between the delicious food (he found he was quite ravenous after the events of last night) and the good-natured banter with the others. As their meal concluded, the dining room doors flung open and the candidates instinctively rose from their seats, in the event that it was the prince. 

 

Instead it was Christophe who waved his hand for them to be seated, apologizing for his intrusion. “Please, please sit down, it’s only me! Lilia is a bit occupied at the moment, His Royal Highness needed to speak with her.  If you’ll all please get ready, I’ll be escorting you to your lessons for the morning.”

 

Those that had arrived on time for breakfast had barely a few bites left and set to work on finishing. Phichit nudged Yuuri, who still had a near full plate of food that he was currently attempting to devour. 

 

“I think if the prince doesn’t pick me, I might try for his friend. I’d heard the Hand of the Prince was hot but—” He made a noise that sounded a bit like a seductive growl and though he had whispered his words, Michele Crispino was on his other side frowning. 

 

“Such talk might be considered treasonous when one is here for the prince,” he chided under his breath. To his right, Emil gave a bark of laughter.

 

“Having a stick up your ass could be considered treasonous too, Mickey.”

 

Michele’s mouth hung agape as he tried to maneuver a comeback. Emil patted his shoulder as he removed himself from the table and the rest of the candidates erupted with laughter as they followed suit. 

 

Yuuri chewed the last bit of his eggs before trailing after them, past Christophe who stopped him in the doorway with with a hand to his chest. 

 

“Late night, Yuuri?”

 

Eyes wide with fear, Yuuri met Chris’ emerald gaze only slightly relaxing at the playful grin on the man’s face. Both of their eyes dropped to the mud on Yuuri’s pants and Chris cocked a perfectly manicured brow.

 

“I had some trouble sleeping.” He admitted, shuffling his feet as if it would hide the evidence.

 

“So I’ve been told.”

 

Chris lifted his hand away and let the other man pass.  Yuuri rushed to his room without a glance back though he could feel Christophe’s eyes burning on his back. The Hand of the Prince meant he was a royal advisor, but the title really meant he was Victor’s best friend. A best friend who no doubt knew exactly what had taken place the night before. 

 

Despite knowing of what had transpired between Yuuri and the prince, Christophe gave no further indication that anything was out of the ordinary. After the candidates were dressed and ready he escorted them to their lessons as promised and Lilia returned to dismiss him shortly thereafter. 

 

Their heads stuffed full of facts pertaining to the founding of Terra Incognita, the group was delighted to return to the candidate’s quarters after lessons. In the main room the Baroness called them together to give the rest of the day’s itinerary. 

 

“Gentleman as you have noticed, our group of ten has shrunk to nine. Cao Bin has elected to leave the competition honorably. I’m sure many of you know that he felt no chance of loving the prince properly and should any of you feel this way I would encourage you to make a similar decision.

 

I am also sorry to inform you that the His Royal Highness will not be joining us for dinner this evening. He sends his condolences and promises to take you all on a lovely picnic in the royal gardens tomorrow afternoon.”

 

She paused as a few disappointed whispers circulated through the group. “You are dismissed to your lunch. Yuuri, please see me for a moment.”

 

Every eye in the room turned to Yuuri as he sank into himself in an attempt to hide. JJ’s eyes shot daggers toward him while Phichit gave him the same suspicious look from breakfast. 

 

After the men cleared the room, the Baroness seated herself on one of the couches, patting the spot beside her. Yuuri obediently sat down, eyeing the woman cautiously as he did so. 

 

“I don’t know how you’ve managed it, but it seems the prince has become rather taken with you. He would like to extend an invitation to join him for dinner, alone.”

 

Even as she spoke the words, Lilia seemed at disbelief. Which was fair, all things considered. From what she had seen, Yuuri had nearly caused accidental harm to the prince on several occasions, had barely been able to string more than two words together in his presence, and needed the most work out of all the candidates to become royal material. It was no wonder she observed him critically as she extended Victor’s invitation. 

 

“I accept, of course.” Yuuri managed, his voice coming out higher than he meant it to. He held back a sigh, he was doing nothing to redeem himself in the Baroness’ eyes. 

 

Lilia replied with a firm nod and smoothed her dress as she stood and faced Yuuri. “It is not my place to question our future king’s decisions, but I have my doubts about this. I certainly hope you prove me wrong, Katsuki Yuuri.”

 

Her tone was cool, though her words were not malicious. It was clear she was concerned, but her distrust was not unfounded given Yuuri’s track record through the competition. Just last night he wondered if he would be sent home this morning and instead he found himself with an invitation to dine privately with the prince. Without knowing the transgressions of the night before, there was no way Yuuri could reassure her or give reasoning for the turn of events. 

 

“I shall certainly try, Lady Baranovskaya.” Yuuri stood and held one hand firmly to his chest, clenched in a fist to match the conviction of his words. “I realize I hold no title, or fortune, and I have a long way to go before I could pass as a member of the royal family, but I care for Prince Victor. I should think I would even if he were not in line for the throne.”

 

Pursing her lips, the Baroness surveyed Yuuri once more before she allowed the smallest of smiles appear on her face. She nodded firmly to the man. 

 

“Enjoy your dinner, Katsuki Yuuri.”

 

> **_Surprise Favorite Katsuki Yuuri Lands First Solo Date With Prince_ **
> 
> **** _ —  _ Aiden Rippen,  _ The Daily Crown _
> 
> _ What an exciting day for the Grand Prix! After the honorable dismissal of Ciao Bin (Beijing) just this morning, our source at the palace revealed that Crown Prince Victor has extended his first invitation for a one-on-one date! Everyone wants to know who the lucky candidate is! While our money was on the handsome Duke of Montreal, Jean-Jacques Leroy, it seems there is a dark horse in the competition! _
> 
> _ Katsuki Yuuri (Hasetsu) is the surprise choice for the first solo date of the Grand Prix.  Everyone here at  _ The Crown _ was shocked to hear the news. It’s no secret that almost everyone in the kingdom had written off Katsuki as a potential winner after he nearly sent the crown prince overboard during last week’s sailing excursion. From the footage seen on  _ Ciao Ciao Chat _ , the official coverage of the Grand Prix, it seems that Katsuki has barely been able to speak to the prince. Perhaps there is a certain charm that we have not been able to see, but for now we have faith that Prince Victor knows what he’s doing! _
> 
>  
> 
> **_10 Things You Didn’t Know About Montreal’s Hottest Duke_ **
> 
>  
> 
> **_Cao Bin Spotted After Grand Prix Dismissal_ **

-*-

 

It hadn’t taken long for the rest of the candidates to put the pieces of the puzzle together when Yuuri came in late to their lunch absolutely glowing. Suspicions were confirmed when he was retreated to his room to get ready instead of attending dinner with the rest. 

 

“Yuuri! You’re going on a real date with the  _ crown prince _ !” 

 

Only Phichit could be so genuinely happy for his competitor. Yuuri’s heart warmed at the knowledge he had found a real friend and he truly hoped that their friendship would be maintained no matter what the outcome of the Grand Prix. Before the other candidates were called to dinner, he had admitted to Phichit his encounter with the prince the night before—leaving out the bit about the kiss. 

 

“You’re going to end up winning this, aren’t you Yuuri? Having secret midnight dates with His Royal Highness!”

 

Yuuri blushed and waved off Phichit’s words. If he were to be honest with himself, the thought  _ had _ crossed his mind over the course of the day. Humble as ever, he would never say it aloud.

 

Minako arrived shortly after the others were dismissed to dinner. She closed the door to 

Yuuri’s room, her back pressed against it as her eyes gleamed dangerously. 

 

“I knew it would be you! I told you didn’t I? From the very beginning!”

 

She carried on like that as she flung open the doors of his wardrobe and began rummaging through the clothes, throwing a few articles onto the bed. It didn’t take much for her to get the (almost) full story from Yuuri of what had transpired the night before. He told her no more than he had told Phichit and though he felt a bit guilty sharing the tale he reminded himself of how much Christophe probably knew, which helped to ease his conscience. 

 

After what felt like a complete assault on nearly every inch of his being, Yuuri was thoroughly prepared for his date. His hair had been pulled back and styled meticulously and Minako made him apply _ just a touch _ of eyeliner before dressing him in one of his pristine ensembles provided by the palace. Dark navy blues threaded through with pinks, purples, and greens that sparkled under the lights as she escorted him down the corridor, Yuuri looked every bit as regal as he felt. 

 

Though his nerves were very much present, Yuuri felt optimistic for perhaps the first time since the night of the ball. Out of all the candidates—the dukes, heirs, and handsome nobles—Victor had chosen Yuuri to dine with him, alone. He remembered how their lips pressed together for those fleeting moments the night before and the memory joined that of his kiss to the stranger on the balcony. Perhaps Yuuri  _ did _ go around kissing strange men outside, though to be fair the mysterious man from the masquerade had kissed  _ him _ . 

 

“Alright, Yuuri. This is where I leave you.” Minako patted him on the arm and gave him a warm, almost maternal, smile as she placed a hand against his cheek. “Remember your lessons, but before all, remember that there’s no sense not being yourself. That’s not the way to find real love, it only brings heartbreak.”

 

Placing his hand atop his advisor’s, he smiled at her kind words of encouragement. It was true, when he had broken down the night before he hadn’t tried to be like the others, he hadn’t had the energy to. Victor had met him where he stood and not asked for anything more. He almost regretted the coiffed hair and the fancy clothes. He wished he could wipe his makeup on his sleeve and walk into the dining room in the clothes he wore in Hasetsu, plain as he was.

 

It was too late for such things, Minako had spent nearly her entire afternoon preparing him for his date. She removed her hands and with one final look at Yuuri, this time with a few tears attempting to make an appearance, she nodded to the guards and Yuuri was welcomed into the dining room. 

 

Yuuri wasn’t sure what he had been expecting when he stepped in the room. Every meal he had shared with the prince thus far had been accompanied by nine other men, a handful of royal guards, other nobles, and at least a dozen cameras. This evening the grand table was left empty and Victor stood beside the fireplace with an arm resting on the mantle, beside him a table just large enough for two dinner settings.

 

The prince smiled genuinely as he watched Yuuri enter the room, removing himself from his post at the fire to greet the man. Victor took one of Yuuri’s hands in his own and bowed down to place his lips on the back, Yuuri had to remind himself to bow to the prince and when the greetings were finished both men stared, drinking each other in. 

 

Victor gestured to the table and pulled out a chair for Yuuri, who protested the prince’s manners. “Shouldn’t I be doing this for you?”

 

The prince shook his head, his smile still gleaming. “I don’t want you to treat me any differently than if I were a date you met in Hasetsu. Everyone waits on me hand and foot, it’s pleasant to return the favor.” He ran a hand through his silver bangs sheepishly as he admitted this, revealing himself to be just as full of nerves as his date. 

 

The doors parted for several servants to step in, two with silver trays in hand and one brandishing a bottle of wine. As the food and wine was set before them, Victor’s cheeks bloomed pink as he admitted sheepishly, “I wasn’t sure what you might like so...I may have asked around.” 

 

A blushing prince was a beautiful thing, Yuuri thought as he observed the meal before him. “K—Katsudon? How did you?”

 

“Minako. She said you ate it on your last night in Hasetsu, I thought it might be nice to eat something from your home. Ever since you’ve gotten here we’ve had all my usual dishes.”

 

A comfortable silence hung in the air as they took their first bites. The warmth of the flavors was familiar on Yuuri’s tongue even if it was not quite like his mother’s, he watched as the prince’s features lit up when he tasted his meal. “Vkusno!” He shouted. “Yuuri, do you get to eat this every day at home? I’m jealous!”

 

Yuuri flushed, delighted that the prince enjoyed his favorite food and quickly tucked into his own dish, pausing here and there for a sip of wine. As they began to reach the bottom of their bowls, scraping the rice that clung to the edges, the prince cleared his throat and his face darkened. 

 

“There is a reason I asked you here tonight, Yuuri. Do you remember the Welcome Masquerade?”

 

Immediate guilt filled the pit of Yuuri’s stomach.  _ He knows _ . Yuuri gulped the last bite of his food down and his hand searched for his glass of wine as he coughed on the rice. Victor’s brow furrowed with concern but when he made a move to leave his chair, Yuuri waved him back. 

 

“No, I’m fine!” He insisted with a final cough. “Yes. I remember the masquerade, I don’t believe I saw you, did you enjoy yourself?”

 

Yuuri crossed his fingers under the table, desperately hoping it was just a coincidence. Perhaps Victor had his own story from the ball, or maybe after his dance with the mysterious stranger Yuuri had gotten drunk and done something regrettable. The latter of which was completely possible since Yuuri was too much like his father after having enough to drink. 

 

“I did. As a matter of fact I met someone that night and was completely smitten.” The corners of the prince’s mouth turned up slowly at the memory, but when he continued a frown replaced his grin. “When I met him again, however, I was concerned that he didn’t care for my identity. I have all these men hanging on my every word but he never did, in fact I wondered if he hated me.”

 

“Certainly he doesn’t hate you, you’re the crown prince!” Yuuri leaned forward, his hands clutching the edge of the table in disbelief.  _ Who could possibly turn away the prince? _ He briefly wondered why Victor was telling him all of this. Perhaps the prince would have this conversation with each candidate, to tell them he was already in love with the man from the ball. 

 

Victor chuckled at Yuuri’s response and stood up from the table. He extended a hand to Yuuri and brought him to the couch beside the fireplace, taking a seat next to him. 

“I must admit, I wondered that, too. I met him again though and he opened up, I realized that even when he had nothing to say to me he always treated me with kindness. Like a person, not a prince. He—He nearly fed me to the sea!”

 

It was here that Yuuri froze, dark eyes wide as he finally realized what Victor was saying. The prince reached into his breast pocket and removed a small handkerchief monogrammed with his initials in a lovely shade of violet. With his free hand, he brought Yuuri’s together before placing the cloth in his care. 

 

Neither’s eyes left Yuuri’s hands as he carefully peeled back the corners of the handkerchief to reveal what was nestled inside. 

 

A pendant, in the shape of a chrysanthemum. The very same pendant Yuuri had lost on the night of the ball. He looked up to Victor, his face lighting up as all the clues fell together. 

 

“It was good to speak with you,  _ again _ .” Victor had said when he left Yuuri at his bedroom door just the night before. “Rolling waves and air that smells of the sea.” Victor had repeated Yuuri’s own words from the ball back to him, letting him know who he was from the moment they were reunited. How foolish Yuuri had been not to see it. He had felt nothing but guilt for being hung up on the mysterious man he had kissed at the ball when he should have had eyes for only the prince, now to find out they were one and the same!

 

“It was you…” Yuuri’s words came out not as an accusation, but as a delighted cry of relief and shock. It was Victor beneath that golden mask, dancing with him under the starlight. 

 

“Are you disappointed?” Victor asked, his words barely louder than the crackle of the fire. Yuuri’s countenance had become hard to read as his emotional journey danced across it. Victor removed his gloves and his hand found its way to Yuuri’s cheek. His eyes never left the man’s face. “I hoped you’d still want me after you learned who I was.”

 

Yuuri said nothing. He gripped the prince’s jacket and closed the space between them, pendant clutched in his other hand as if it was the most precious item in the world. He heard Victor’s hum of surprise over the roar of the fire before the prince’s hands found their way around him, unable to pull him any closer but trying to in vain. 

 

For the third time since he had arrived at the palace, Katsuki Yuuri was kissing his prince. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day three! 
> 
> Finally! Yuuri knows! And has made a habit of kissing the prince! If only Victor had given him the pendant right away, but then that wouldn’t be much of a story would it?
> 
> I hope you’re all enjoying this little fairytale, I have been absolutely delighted at all of your comments and they’ve fueled me while I finish the chapters for this week! Tomorrow is Free Day, and I hope you’ll love what I decided to do for it!


	4. The Prince Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov was not used to rejection. Could it be called rejection when the man he loved failed to acknowledge his existence? Yuuri is oblivious and the prince is dramatic, but they may have finally figured things out. But there are still eight other suitors, a royal competition, and a scorned noble waiting for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOI Royalty Week  
> Day 4: Freedom (Free Day!)  
> Who would we be, if we were not who we are?
> 
> For free day, I wanted to get a chance to tell things from Victor's perspective so we can get a glimpse of our pining prince.

 

> **_Surprise King! Crown Prince Set to Take Throne Two Years Early_ **
> 
> -Eshlee Wagoner,  _ The Royal Insider _
> 
> _ King Dmitriviech Nikiforov’s speech at the recent spring gala contained a big surprise for the kingdom.  Traditionally the crown royal is eligible to take his or her spot on the throne after their thirtieth birthday. However, our noble king has revealed that he and his wife, Queen Alina Nikiforov, will be abdicating the throne early. Their son, Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov will be coronated on December twenty-fifth, his twenty-eight birthday.  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ It is unclear whether the crown prince knew of these plans prior to the king’s announcement at the spring gala, but judging from the shock capture in  _ **_these photos_ ** _ , we here at  _ The Royal Insider _ are guessing not! While the majority of the reactions to the news have been in favor of the new king, several have expressed concern as it will be a break in tradition and the crown prince is not yet married. Rumors have begun to surface that the kingdom might see its first Grand Prix held in nearly a century! _
> 
>  
> 
> **_Everything You Need to Know About a Royal Grand Prix_ **
> 
>  
> 
> **_Hand of the Prince Or Something More? Who Is Christophe Giacometti?_ **

~♕~

 

Victor Nikiforov was born with one purpose: to become the next king of Terra Incognita. His birth was celebrated throughout the land, for the people adored King Dmitriviech and were certain that his son would be a fine ruler.  The entire kingdom had watched him grow from a child into a man, making speculations about his future all the while. His parents were present for his childhood, as loving as parents could be, but it was the royal council who had controlled his life for nearly twenty-eight years.

 

The prince could recall his tenth birthday, when he had asked his parents for a party.  He did not have many friends, but he thought it would be exciting to have the few he did have over for a sleepover at the palace. His parents were ready to oblige him when the royal council suggested using his birthday party as a goodwill gesture to the provinces. Instead of a night spent causing mischief and making memories with children his own age, he had been stuffed in a suit and paraded around to the provincial nobles. Most of whom were older than either of his parents, or if they were near his age they were insufferable.

 

It was difficult, living your life to meet the expectations of an entire kingdom. Nearly every aspect of his life had been designed to mold him into the next king of Terra Incognita. His father had grown up in the same fashion and though his mother had not been brought up by the royal coucil, she had been a duchess before marriage and still had a noble upbringing. “Our little majesty,” they called him affectionately, using the diminutive of the king’s form of address. 

 

Now, on the cusp on his twenty-eight birthday, Victor was set to fulfill his destiny and take over the throne from his father. He had implored his parents to wait the two extra years, until he was the traditional age to take the crown. The prince insisted he wasn’t ready, to which his parents laughed kindly and patted him on the cheek. “Oh Vitya, you’ve been ready your entire life.”

 

Victor had purposefully avoided engaging in romantic relationships, hoping that the absence of a spouse might keep him from the throne just a bit longer. The royal council, nemesis to his attempts to run from the crown, had been delighted to suggest a Grand Prix for the unwed prince. 

 

It wasn’t that Victor didn’t want to fall in love, in fact the opposite was true. The prince wanted nothing more than to fall in love and have a partner to share the responsibilities of the kingdom with. His parents had a wonderful marriage. They ruled together, as equals, despite what their titles might suggest. Their son wanted that more than anything else. If he should have to rule a kingdom, he wanted someone by his side. 

 

Having spent all of nearly twenty-eight years being groomed for the throne, finally taking it felt like the end of Victor’s life. His upcoming coronation would be the culmination of everything he had ever worked for, and then what? The prince had never been given another goal. 

 

“You’ll be a marvelous king, Vitya.” 

 

“We can’t wait to see  _ you _ on that throne, your highness!”

 

These sort of thoughts running through his head, Victor made the decision that for just one evening he did not want to be the prince. 

 

It was Christophe’s idea to turn the traditional Welcome Ball into a masquerade. When Victor brought the idea before his parents they indulged him, delighted that their son was finally taking an interest in his own love life. 

 

The night of the masquerade, Chris helped him to secure his mask. Stunningly crafted in solid gold the mask had been molded to fit Victor’s face like a second skin, stretching from the crown of his forehead, over his nose and stopping just below his cheekbones. 

 

“Do you think people will recognize me?”

 

“If they do I’m sure you can talk your way out of it, your highness.” His friend replied with a grin. 

 

Victor had known Christophe since they were small. His father was a noble of the Capitol and had sat on the royal council for many years. As a result, Chris was often one of the few people near Victor’s age in the palace and the two had formed an unrivaled friendship. As the prince’s friend, Chris was unafraid to share his own thoughts and chastise him when he was being ridiculous; as the Hand of the Prince, he was often Victor’s voice of reason. 

 

Delighted with his plan, Victor descended the stairs to the Welcome Masquerade where he found that nearly every person of noble birth was present. Waltzing couples packed the dance floor so tightly that one could barely navigate through, while several wallflowers hung back by the refreshment tables. Victor began to stalk the perimeter of the room. He felt free. No one came to him to ask his opinion on foreign policy, or to chastise him for not greeting the Baron of Beijing. 

 

Spotting a few members of the royal council circling about, he made his way to the other side of the ballroom where the champagne fountain stood. Perhaps walking around alone was a bit conspicuous but Christophe was typically his dance partner of choice and he was nowhere to be found. Victor huffed, though he couldn’t be too cross with his friend. After all, the purpose of a masquerade was to have fun, something Chris did all too well.

 

The prince’s eyes scanned the room, noticing that many in attendance had very simple masks that barely served to hide their identities. In fact just beside the champagne fountain stood a man whose mask only covered one eye, leaving the entire left side of his face exposed to the public. Victor recognized the soft features and dark eyes as Katsuki Yuuri, the Hasetsu candidate that would be competing for his hand over the next two months. Yuuri looked nervous, grasping his cape with a white-knuckled hand. 

 

Victor remembered that Hasetsu was a quiet, traditional province and it was likely that the candidate hadn’t attended a royal ball before. Without a second thought, he stepped next to the candidate and tapped his hand so it let the silk of his cape fall away. Yuuri turned to the prince, eyes wide with fear, mouth agape with shock, and for the first time Victor thought he really might have a chance at true love. Katsuki Yuuri was a beautiful sight. 

 

> _ My dearest Vitya,  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ Your father and I apologize that we will be away for the first month of the Grand Prix. Unfortunately, the duties of a king are neverending, something that you will come to learn in just a few short months. We are so incredibly proud of you, our little majesty--though I suppose as your coronation approaches you are not so little anymore. You’ve become a man right before our eyes and soon you will be wed as well.  _
> 
> _ Remember what we’ve taught you about love, darling. It is patient, kind, and respectful. Keep these things in mind as you get to know these men. Your father and I owe our happiness and success to each other, for ever since we met we sought only to honor each other, building each other up, never trying to tear each other down.  _
> 
> _ I know that the council selected the ten best men in the entire kingdom and it is my hope that you will find love and happiness to support you as you take on your new responsibilities as king. We will return at the turn of the month and will miss you every moment until then! _
> 
> _ All of my love, _
> 
> _ Alina Nikiforov _
> 
> _ Your loving mother _

~♕~

 

“He hates me!”

 

“Your highness, please calm down I think you’re being  _ slightly _ irrational.” 

 

“He wouldn’t even  _ speak _ to me!”

 

Christophe sighed from his spot on the prince’s bed. He had come to Victor’s bedchamber in order to assist the prince with his nightly routine and instead was met with the fullest extent of the prince’s dramatics. 

 

Victor had become completely infatuated with Katsuki Yuuri, the Grand Prix candidate from Hasetsu. After inviting him to share a few dances at the Welcome Masquerade, they found themselves sharing their first kiss out on the balcony, bathed in starlight. Yuuri had run off and Victor had failed to reveal himself, which, as Chris pointed out, was the reason they were now in the current state of affairs. 

 

The Grand Prix candidates had their first official meeting with the prince, a simple dinner with some time after for him to be properly introduced to his ten potential husbands. From the moment he took his seat at the table, Victor’s eyes had found Yuuri and several times he was elated to find the other man staring back at him. 

 

_ Surely he must recognize me, _ Victor had thought. He made his way through the other nine candidates as patiently as he could, though Cao Bin had barely wanted to interact with him and JJ refused to leave him alone. When he finally settled in beside Yuuri and repeated the same words that the candidate had uttered on the balcony just the night before, he was met with a few broken sentences. For the duration of their one-sided conversation, Yuuri had remained plastered to the back of his chair, eyes wide with fright as though he thought Victor might harm him. 

 

Perhaps he had misread the evening before. Perhaps when Yuuri ran from the balcony it was really because he had realized Victor’s identity without removing the mask and now regretted placing himself in the competition. Maybe he judged the prince for kissing strangers on balconies when he was soon to be wed. 

 

“Thank you, your highness,” he had said when the prince had bent to kiss his hand. None of the other candidates had used such formal address and the prince was certain it could only mean that Yuuri was cold toward him. 

 

“Have you considered that perhaps he  _ didn’t _ recognize you, sire?” Christophe mused. While it was entertaining enough to watch the prince throw himself over furniture like a mourning damsel, he did pity his inability to read people properly. It wouldn’t be the first time that the prince had come on to strong, only to feel personally dejected when the object of his affection did not react the way he expected. 

 

“I repeated the very words he spoke to me, how could he not recognize them? Chris, I kissed him on the balcony! What if he knew it was me and he thinks less of me for going around kissing strangers?”

 

Christophe pursed his lips and pinched the bridge of his nose. He took a deep breath and moved quickly across the room, cupping the prince’s chin in his hands. “Give it time,  _ mon cher _ . Let him come to you, it must be overwhelming coming from such a modest province to live in the palace and court the prince.”

 

Victor concede with a pout, allowing Christophe to begin their evening routine as he handed him a steaming rag to clean his face. The prince wiped each eye carefully, letting out a deep sigh as the steam opened his pores. “I’ve never met someone who spoke to me as if I weren’t the crown prince...as if I were just Victor.”

 

“Give it time,” Chris repeated, placing a clean set of nightclothes on the bed before bowing to his prince. He took his leave for the evening, leaving Victor to his thoughts. 

 

> **_Prince Overboard! One Candidate Nearly Sends HRH for a Swim!_ **
> 
> _ — Aiden Rippen, The Daily Crown _
> 
> _ While the weather is cooling off, the prince and our ten candidates took advantage of the last warm day to go out on the water. It was all smiles while the group enjoyed the beautiful sight—and I don’t mean just the prince! _
> 
> _      Unfortunately not every day can be perfect, while playing skipper Katsuki Yuuri (Hasetsu) managed to swing the rig for the mast out over the water with the prince dangling from it! Thankfully HRH was returned safely on board thanks to Christophe Giacometti, Hand of the Prince. Gracious as always, Prince Victor made sure Katsuki was alright before the excursion continued but one has to wonder if it will keep the Hasetsu candidate from being selected! _
> 
>  
> 
> **_Katsuki Yuuri, Underdog of the Grand Prix?_ **
> 
>  
> 
> **_Royal Rendevouz, Duke Plisetsky Visits Palace_ **

 

~♕~

 

Halfway through the first month of the Grand Prix, Victor had yet to hold a full conversation with Katsuki Yuuri. It was not for lack of trying, no Victor had been pursuing the man as openly as he could while being courted by nine other men. 

 

Well, eight men after tomorrow. After dinner that evening Cao Bin has requested a private audience with the prince where he informed him that he did not believe they had any chemistry. Victor felt guilty, holding himself partially responsible for paying so much of his attentions to Yuuri. A feeling that only grew worse after speaking with his cousin, the Duke of Moscow, Yuri Plisetsky.

 

“I just worry that through my pursuit of Yuuri, the other candidates might feel neglected.”

 

“Yes, I’m sure it’s very hard dating ten men at once.” The duke was thirteen years Victor’s junior and unlike the rest of the kingdom, had absolutely no interest in the Grand Prix or the affairs of the prince. Having arrived at the palace just after dinner, Yuri had tried to have a peaceful meal when his cousin barreled into his bedchambers claiming he had missed him and wanted to catch up. It hadn’t taken long for Yuri to realize it was a ruse so Victor could complain about his love life. 

 

“I wonder if he is pretending to not recognize me, to protect my honor. He must know princes aren’t to go around kissing men on balconies.”

 

“He’s probably just an idiot, like you,” Yuri grumbled, stuffing his face with a scoop of potatoes so large they made his cheeks bulge out. After a grunted swallow he continued on, “Maybe you shouldn’t pick anyone, step down, and they can put me on the throne instead!”

 

Victor snorted. His cousin  _ was _ second in line for the throne, but had never expressed a desire to usurp the crown prince unless it was to get a rise from him. He eyed the duke, who now had a bit of potatoes smeared on the side of his lip, “I think your manners could use some work before anything else, Yura.”

 

Yuri ignored his cousin’s scolding. He made a point to take another large bite and chew with his mouth open, knowing it would get under Victor’s skin. As if on cue, the prince rose with a dramatic sigh and made his way out of the room having finally given up on speaking with his cousin. 

 

Walking down the corridor the prince could hear the echoing ticks of a grandfather clock as it counted down the minutes until dawn. It would be another sleepless night he was sure. Something that had been happening too often since his parents announced their abdication. 

 

The prince stopped into his room to change into nightclothes and spend some time with Makkachin, hoping that it might help him settle in for the evening. Hours passed and Victor was left eyeing his poodle enviously as she snored at the foot of the bed. His eyes ached with exhaustion but his mind continued to move faster than he could keep up with, unable to focus on a single thought. 

 

_ Maybe I  _ am _ an idiot _ , he wondered, carefully slipping his legs out from under the covers without disturbing Makkachin.  _ An idiot for thinking I could find real love _ .

 

Pulling a blanket around him, Victor sat in the bay window that faced the east wing gardens. The moon shone brightly, the shrubbery basking in its silver light while a gentle breeze caused them to sway. With the sunrise merely a few hours away, morning dew had started to form and glimmer in the moonlight like diamonds scattered across the grass. The prince always enjoyed this view, the moon and stars were company on his sleepless nights.  

 

On the worst nights the garden called out to him, beckoning him for a silent stroll as it did now. He wrapped his blanket around the slumbering poodle and succumbed to the garden’s invitation. Barefoot, the prince made his way out the northern palace doors, shuddering at the way the cool October air nipped at his extremities. Alone in the garden, he moved autonomously as though in a trance, wrapped up in the silent lullaby of the trees as he made his way to the lily garden. 

 

Victor was so wrapped up in his head that he nearly missed the form lying in the grass, in the center of the garden. Not wanting to disturb the shadow, he crept closer until he could make out a face. The moonlight shone like a spotlight, guiding him to where he needed to be as it illuminated the serene face pointed to the sky. 

 

The prince’s heart leapt into his throat and a familiar fluttering returned to his chest. There, lying in the dewey grass, peaceful and angelic was the man who had given him hope while simultaneously breaking his heart. His name rolled off Victor’s lips like a prayer.

 

“Yuuri?”

 

> _ Lilia, _
> 
> _ Please tell the candidates that I will be unable to join them for dinner this evening. My sincerest apologies but perhaps tomorrow we can picnic in the gardens. Lily gardens are the most wonderful places aren’t they? I’ve become quite fond of them.  _
> 
> _ Also, please see me after the dismissal of Cao Bin, as there is something I want to discuss with you.  _
> 
> _ Thank you! _
> 
> _ Victor _

~♕~

 

Victor had never been on a date before. He had never had the most traditional upbringing and going on a date would have required several guards to be present, which was not the most romantic situation. At twenty-seven years old, the crown prince was about to go on his first date. 

 

He was delighted when Lilia brought word of Yuuri’s acceptance. It was the only part he was truly nervous about given how the man had interacted with him up until just last night. Victor had been worried that Yuuri might change his mind when he woke up, or perhaps the prince would realize that everything was an elaborate dream and he had been sleepwalking when he found the man lying in the garden. 

 

It hadn’t been a dream though. Victor remembered how it felt when Yuuri grabbed him by his shirt and their lips crashed together. Though he knew better, the prince hadn’t hesitated to kiss back. Pulling away was the hardest thing Victor had ever done, but his fear of being caught by the palace guards trumped his desire to continue kissing Yuuri ‘til dawn. 

 

Yuuri had spoken to him. Not just startled words or formal addresses, but real conversation. He had cried against Victor’s chest and confessed his fears of being sent home. It was ironic really, that Victor had been trying to pursue Yuuri meanwhile the object of his affections thought the opposite. 

 

Christophe had been right. After their conversation the night before it had become apparent that Yuuri did not know he had kissed the prince once before. He had not recognized the hints Victor had been dropping since the first day of the competition, but that was alright because the prince still had a card in his hand to play. On the night of the masquerade, Yuuri had dropped something as he ran back to the ball.

 

Victor’s very own Cinderella had dropped a chrysanthemum pendant, which the prince had found and kept with him. After Chris took his leave on the first night of the Grand Prix, Victor had retrieved the token from his jacket pocket and held it in his hand as he slept. Every night from then on he kept the pendant safe underneath his pillow, removing it to press his lips to it as he stared out his window to the stars.  The same stars under which he had shared a conversation, a dance, and then a kiss with Yuuri. 

 

At dinner that evening, Victor planned on revealing himself to Yuuri by returning the pendant to him. He did not actually want to give the pendant back, happy to have something to remember the evening by, but it would be the most romantic way he could give Yuuri the final piece of the puzzle. 

 

His nerves rattled him all day until he heard the handle of the dining room door creak. Yuuri ventured into the room cautiously, dark eyes taking in his environment before they spotted Victor beside the fireplace. As always, Yuuri was a vision. His hair was styled handsomely and gone were his glasses from the night before. He was a different beauty than what had captivated Victor last night, but the prince decided he found the man handsome no matter how he was styled.

 

Victor caught himself smiling and was pleased to see that Yuuri returned the favor as they made their way to one another. The prince’s heart was surely trying to escape his chest and for a moment there were no sounds but the pounding in Victor’s chest and the crackle of the fire. Just months ago he had dreaded the Grand Prix, having to take his chance at love with men selected by the same council who had always run his life. 

 

This one time, he would admit that the council had made the right choice for him. They had brought him Katsuki Yuuri and Victor knew he was finally falling in love. 

 

> **_Terra Incognita Faces “Shipping” War Among Grand Prix Fans_ **
> 
> \--Pat Chen,  _ The Daily Crown _
> 
> _ Two weeks after the start of the Grand Prix, it has become apparent that there are some fan favorites in the competition. This reporter went out on the streets to interview the people and find out who  _ they _ think will steal the crown prince’s heart. _
> 
> _ “Phichit! I love him so much! He’s just so genuine and he is  _ so cute _ I don’t know why Prince Victor hasn’t just proposed to him already! Phictor is end game!” _
> 
> _ -Maya Shutabani _
> 
> _ “JJ. Duh. You can see it in the prince’s eyes, how intensely he stares at him when they talk. There’s so much sexual tension there!” _
> 
> _ -Brandee Terrill _
> 
> _ “I want to say Phichit because how could someone not love that guy, but honestly? Katsuki. I know he like can’t talk to the prince, and spills wine on him, and almost knocked him in the sea...but it’s kind of romantic? The clumsy underdog and the dignified prince. I ship it.” _
> 
> _ -Vincent Scott _
> 
> **_Read More_ **

~♕~

 

Yuuri’s mouth was soft and pliant against Victor’s but as the prince stilled they took command and demanded more. Their lips danced just as they had only weeks ago, this time bathed in occasional flickers of the firelight. The prince’s hands pulled at the other’s shirt, thumbs grazing the soft threads as they pulled Yuuri closer until he was flush against him.

 

It was Yuuri who finally pulled back, gasping for air as if he was drowning. Victor’s lips were on fire, numb in the absence of Yuuri’s. Their eyes met, pupils blown wide as they recovered from their moment of passion. The prince was momentarily embarrassed for not having been the one to come to his senses first.  He cleared his throat and released Yuuri’s clothes as he righted himself. 

 

Fixing the sleeves of his suit, Victor cast his eyes away from Yuuri for the first time that evening as a blush bloomed from his cheeks to his nose.  _ We have to stop meeting like this _ , the prince mused as he recalled the last two encounters where they were alone together--not that he minded.

 

“Yuuri, I haven’t stopped thinking of you since the moment your eyes met mine. You were so shocked when I tapped your hand, so beautiful in that moment. I thought of you under the moon, dancing with me to no music. I thought of our kiss. I thought of you running away, leaving me on that balcony...”

 

Viktor’s words turned to pleas as he looked back to Yuuri. His eyes had something in them that Yuuri had only seen once before, when the prince was young and giving his ice show for the hearts of his people. It was a gleam of fire, of passion, and perhaps...love?

 

“You broke my heart when you refused to speak to me. I have nobody to blame but myself, but I had hoped you might recognize me still and love the man under the mask, the man without the title.”

 

Victor let his words burn into the crackle of the fire. After a moment that felt like eternity, Yuuri spoke.

 

“Your highness--”

 

“Victor, please, when it’s just you and I…”

 

“Victor, I never stopped thinking of you. I was just so...nervous to meet you. How was I supposed to know that the man I kissed on the balcony, and the man I had looked up to for years were the same person? ”

 

“You make me feel free, Yuuri. Like I’m not just a prince. But we can’t do this--not like this,” Victor turned away from him, pinching the bridge of his nose in thought. He had remembered the other candidates and he couldn’t call off the Grand Prix even if he needed no other now that he knew Yuuri returned his affections. 

 

“Your h--Victor, I understand. I know where I come from and I know the future king deserves a noble by his side.” His face fell, tears welling in his eyes as he tried to turn them from the prince’s direction.

 

Victor surprised Yuuri with a bark of laughter as he took the man’s face in his hands. 

 

“You’re the only one here that I could ever love, Yuuri. I’ve pined over you for two weeks and I won’t do it a moment longer! I can’t call off the Grand Prix, but I can marry you at the end of this. We could meet in secret until then. The lily garden, secret places in the castle, we can make this work.”

 

Yuuri’s eyes were determined and his mouth set in a hard line as his hand reached forward and grabbed Victor’s. He squeezed it as his eyes bore into those of his prince. “Of course. No one will know until it’s time.”

 

The prince’s smile fell soft on his lips as he gazed with admiration at the man who caused him such elation. The man who would be by his side as he became king, the man who would help him find fulfillment past the crown. Knowing he shouldn’t, Victor closed the gap between them one last time, knowing that someone would be there soon to escort them back to their respective rooms. 

 

Victor found Yuuri’s lips melting with his, a feeling that never failed to leave his brain short-circuiting and his blood on fire. He had found his true love and he was certain they could keep their secret until the Grand Prix was over. Then he could announce that he chose Yuuri. 

 

In just a few short weeks, Victor would proclaim his love to the kingdom. For the first time since his father’s announcement, he felt ready to take the throne. He had no doubt he would make a great king if only he had Yuuri by his side. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much! I have been absolutely blown away by the feedback and I am delighted you are all enjoying this fic! I am having such a blast getting a chance to tell this story-we are now at the halfway point with three chapters left! If you've been following YOIRoyaltyWeek on Tumblr, you might know the prompts for the next few days and I'm very excited for how they will come into play. 
> 
> Happily ever afters aren't simple!
> 
> I can't wait to hear what you thought of Victor's perspective in this story and the plan these boys have devised. I'll be posting some art for this fic on my [Tumblr](https://thewaywardsong.tumblr.com/) soon as well, so come find me and celebrate Royalty Week!


	5. The Scandalous Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secret relationships have always worked in the past haven't they? With eight other suitors, the media watching their every move, and jealousy brewing in the background there's no way this can go badly. 
> 
> In which Prince Victor's acting skill set is quite limited and Katsuki Yuuri shouldn't make decisions by himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOI Royalty Week  
> Day 5: Intrigue and Scandal  
> An affair is exposed, politicians and courtiers vie for favour. The world exists in a gilded cage-can we survive it?
> 
> **Disclaimer/Spoilers at the bottom

> **_A New Candidate? Two Week Check In Reveals Confident Katsuki_ **
> 
> _ — Aiden Rippen, The Daily Crown _
> 
> _ Before we dive into the Grand Prix two week check in, let’s discuss something: Katsuki Yuuri. Now, if you asked anyone a week ago if they thought that it would be Katsuki (Hasetsu) who would win the prince’s heart, you would have been laughed at! Then, the first solo date of the competition was given to Katsuki and he emerged a new man.  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ Perhaps the only non-noble in the competition is just a little camera shy and having some private time with Prince Victor brought him out of his shell. Maybe he was so busy getting used to the palace that he forgot he was supposed to be courting the prince. Either way, the Katsuki we saw the next day was a completely different. He  _ spoke _ to the prince after dinner, which might not seem like a big deal unless you remember their disastrous first interactions. Regardless of who wins the Grand Prix, we can all agree that Kastuki Yuuri wins the “ _ most improved”  _ category.  _
> 
>  
> 
> **_Keep Reading_ **

  
  


It had been two weeks since Yuuri first discovered that the two men who had captured his heart were in fact the same person, namely the Crown Prince of Terra Incognita, Victor Nikiforov. Both wanting to honor the tradition of the Grand Prix, they had elected to maintain their budding relationship for the duration of the competition, after which they would announce their engagement. 

 

Unfortunately, the pair was not the greatest at keeping secrets on their own. It had only taken Christophe two days to figure out what was going on. On the first day, he spotted them sneaking off into the sitting room as he was on his way back to his own bedchambers, having just come from assisting the prince with his nightly routine. Victor had been too impatient, not checking to see if his friend had cleared the hallway before he snuck from his room. The slap of his bare feet gave him away as he ran to meet Yuuri. 

 

On the second day of the secret royal relationship, Christophe was waiting in the room when the two arrived. It was Yuuri who arrived first, freezing in the doorway when he saw the Hand of the Prince sitting leisurely by a roaring fire. Their eyes locked and Yuuri barely so much as blinked before Victor came barrelling through the door. 

 

“Yuuri!” The prince purred as he burst in the door, wrapping himself around his secret boyfriend as soon as the door closed behind him. Oblivious to anything else, it wasn’t until his hands were around Yuuri’s rigidly tense body that he realized something was off and noticed the other man in the room. 

 

His limbs flew back as if he had touched a scalding pan and Victor tried to position himself casually as he cleared his throat. The pink that bloomed at the tip of the prince’s ears betrayed his embarrassment. 

 

“Christophe! How pleasant it is to see you! I was a bit chilly in my room, I thought it would be nice to sit by the hearth!” His practiced press smile faltered as he fed his excuses to Chris. The Hand of the Prince continued to eye his prince with a cocked brow and a soft grin, amused at Victor’s cover up attempt. 

 

“Oh Yuuri! You are here too! What are you doing out of bed?” Victor continued, offering a hand to the man beside him. Thoroughly confused but still trying to support his prince, Yuuri took Victor’s hand and was met with a stiff, robotic handshake. 

 

“It is a good thing you’re a crown prince instead of an actor,  _ mon cher _ ,” Christophe finally spoke. He felt that Victor’s painful charade had gone on long enough and the relief was visible on the prince’s face as he dropped Yuuri’s hand. 

 

“If you’re going to do this you need to be more careful,” Chris chided. With a wave of his hand he beckoned them toward the fireplace. The pair obediently sat side by side on the chaise lounge across from him, blinking at him expectantly as if he alone would decide their fate. The partial blond pointed to each of them as he spoke.

 

“You,” his finger landed on Victor, “Need to be more aware of your surroundings. Last night I hadn’t left the corridor before you were sneaking from your room. And you _—_ ” His hand went to Yuuri next, who visible flinched with an accompanying gulp. “Can’t be coming all the way from the eastern wing of the palace to the northern sitting room. It’s too far, too much of a chance that you’ll be caught.”

 

“You’re not going to turn us in?” Yuuri whispered. In response Chris clutched his chest, “You wound me, my loyalty lies to my prince first and foremost.”

 

“Chris is to be trusted,” Victor confirmed. He plucked Yuuri’s hand from where it was buried between the lounge cushions, and squeezed it in his own. “You’ll help us then?”

 

“Of course, I’m in favor of this secret relationship business. A real fuck you to the royal council, plus it’s romantic and I’m Swiss.” The man purred his response.

 

True to his word, Chris did help the secret couple. He reminded Victor to not look at Yuuri like a lovesick puppy and found a more locationally appropriate spot for the two to meet. Just past the eastern wing, where it met the northern corridor, there was an old bedchamber that had been left unused after the addition of the western wing of the palace. It was here that Victor met Yuuri the following evening. 

 

“Good evening, my prince,” Yuuri purred from his perch on the bed. He always managed to beat Victor to their meeting location, not having the evening obligations to go through as the prince did. The lights were off, but Yuuri had lit two oil lamps that decorated the mantle above the bed. Dim like firelight, they illuminated the his face with a warm glow and made his eyes sparkle as they met Victor’s even gaze. 

 

In one sweeping motion, Victor went from his place in the doorway to the bed, catching Yuuri’s lips in a familiar kiss as he knocked him back onto the pillows. He pulled back and held himself over Yuuri, propped up on his forearms as he moved his kisses from the man’s lips, to his nose, and finally his forehead.

 

“I missed you,” he murmured softly against Yuuri’s skin. 

 

“You just saw me at dinner,” Yuuri retorted with a laugh, Victor could tell he was pleased by the color that flushed in his cheeks. 

 

“That was hours ago,” Victor whined, rolling to his side so he was no longer on top of Yuuri. His arms snaked around the man’s waist and pulled him close so the curves of their bodies fit together. Pressing his smile into Yuuri’s neck, he inhaled the comforting scent of the other man. Soap from his evening’s bath, vanilla from the lotion he liked to use after, and something heady that was purely Yuuri. 

 

Yuuri said nothing but his hands found their way to Victor’s hair, combing through his silver locks. They laid there like that, both exhausted from the day’s activities but perfectly content just to be close to each other.  _ It started out with a kiss,  _ Yuuri mused as he continued to let his hands rediscover his prince,  _ how did it end up like this? _

 

> **_GrandPrixWatchxx_ **
> 
> **_Move Over JJ, There’s a New Winner in Town_ **
> 
> _ Hey everybody! Thanks for sticking with me while my blog has turned into  _ the _ hotspot for all things Grand Prix! We are at the halfway point of the competition and there had already been some surprising developments. First, you  _ know _ I love Duke Jean-Jacques Leroy. JJ is my favorite figure skater since the prince retired and I was definitely rooting for them to get together.  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ But guys...I think I might have a new favorite? I hate admitting it because I feel like a traitor (JJ I still love you BB) but there is  _ no _ denying that there’s some definite chemistry between Prince Victor and the only non-noble this competition, Katsuki Yuuri. After bumbling through the first two weeks of the competition, the two have a kind of  _ The Prince and the Pauper  _ thing going on (That’s a romance right, has anyone actually read that?) and I am LIVING FOR IT. _
> 
>  
> 
> _ #GrandPrixWatch #Prince Victor Picks A Groom #Victuuri #I Still Love JJ Though  _
> 
>  
> 
> 3, 216 notes

~♕~

 

Yuuri had always been a night owl, something he was increasingly grateful for over the following two weeks. Every evening after the group of candidates finished their time with the prince and were beckoned into their rooms for a full night’s rest, Yuuri would dress in his nightclothes and sit on his bed staring at the clock. It was the most agonizing part of his day, trying to find a distraction to bide the time until he could sneak away to his prince. 

 

Books were useless, he would read the same paragraph a dozen times without comprehending it, glancing at the clock after every sentence. Music was better, it kept him company while he watched the clock’s hand twitch slowly across its face. Occasionally sleep called to him, but he never allowed his eyes to close in fear he would not wake up in time. Though he often spent some part of his day in Victor’s presence, it was these secret meetings that fueled him. 

 

He never expected to be the jealous type, considering he had never found himself to be particularly fond of anyone before. With Victor he often dug the tip of his fingernail into his palm, stifling the pangs he felt when the other candidates openly flirted with the prince. 

 

JJ was the worst, always grinning too wide for it to be genuine, telling Victor about his many skating victories. It had been a long time since the prince was able to take the ice, after his twenty-first birthday he had been granted more responsibility from his parents and it had severely cut down on his practice time. He had told Yuuri this one night when they were stowed away in their secret bedchamber, limbs tangled after a particularly heated kiss. 

 

“You’re going to be a king someday, you don’t need to be a skater as well.” It was the royal council who had neglected to renew his skating credentials for the following year and the prince had no choice but to focus on his political duties. 

 

The royal council, Yuuri had quickly learned after just a few of Victor’s tales, was like the evil stepmother of the prince’s fairytale life. They dictated what he wore, the words he said, and the events he was allowed to attend. While they had initiated the Grand Prix that brought the pair together, Yuuri couldn’t help but hate them a bit since they were also the reason their relationship had to be kept secret. 

 

Yuuri cursed the council under his breath when he watched Victor give his most charming press smile to Guang Hong at the dinner table. He gripped his napkin under the table and failed to notice how visibly he was staring until he felt a tap on his shoulder. 

 

“Yuuri? Are you feeling alright?”

 

Whipping around in his seat, Yuuri found himself face to face with a very concerned Phichit. He offered as bright of a smile as he could muster and a bit too loudly replied, “Of course! I am great! How are you?”

 

Phichit responded by lifting just one of his groomed brows and humming. “I’m good...you know Yuuri,” his voice dropped to a whisper as he continued, “I can’t help but notice you’ve been a little off lately. 

 

Still focusing on the prince’s interactions with the suitors seated near the head of the table, Yuuri gave a soft sigh, “Really? How so?”

 

“Well, for one, you’ve barely been touching your dinners and you’ve been late to breakfast a few times this past week,” Phichit began. Receiving no response from Yuuri he pressed on. 

 

“You’ve got dark circles under your eyes like you haven’t been sleeping and I think you’ve put a permanent crease in your dinner napkin every time Prince Victor looks in someone’s direction. Is there...something going on?”

 

Yuuri finally met Phichit’s eyes and focused on what his friend was telling him. He hadn’t realized how many minor slips he had made over the course of his new relationship. It was hard to focus on food when Victor was at the other end of the table being courted while Yuuri watched silently. The late nights  _ had _ started to take a toll on him despite his nocturnal nature, he had been late to breakfast trying to pad his abhorrent sleep schedule with a few extra minutes in bed. 

 

There was not a good reason he could give his friend that would excuse the erratic behaviors. Part of Yuuri wanted to come clean, it would be so much easier to handle the rest of the Grand Prix if he had someone to talk about it with. Victor had Chris to confide in, surely Yuuri could have a friend as well. Even though Phichit was a competitor in the Grand Prix, he doubted that he would be anything less than ecstatic about the development. 

 

“Phichit, can you meet me in my room, after dinner? I promise I’ll explain everything then.” Yuuri accompanied his words with an apologetic smile. Eyes still narrow in suspicion, his friend nodded. 

 

“Fine. You had better have  _ some _ story to tell me later.”

 

Yuuri tried to hold back his laughter, if only he knew. 

 

> _ Yuuri,  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ You are making us so proud with how you’re doing in the Grand Prix. You are allowing yourself to shine and everyone who comes into the onsen remarks how well our Yuuri represents the Hasetsu province. We hope you’ll still come to visit us when you’re living in the palace, as I am sure you will be after the competition is over. Continue to be true to yourself and I am sure you will always find your way. _
> 
>  
> 
> _ Love,  _
> 
> _ Okaa-san _
> 
>  
> 
> _ Little Brother,  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ What is going on? We send you to the palace to court the prince and you spent the first two weeks pretending to be a mute. I’m glad you finally decided to start talking to him, it seems to be working out a lot better for you. Remember your worth, little brother. The prince isn’t your idol anymore, he’s a person and you deserve happiness just as much as he does.  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ -Mari _

~♕~

 

As promised, Phichit found his way into Yuuri’s room after the rest of the candidates had retreated for the evening. His friend welcomed him inside where he settled on the bed, perched on his knees with his weight on his hands, he leaned in towards Yuuri and pleaded for information. 

 

“Sooooo, what’s the scoop?”

 

Yuuri took a deep breathe, prepared to bear his secret. During the post-meal tête-à-tête, he had informed Victor of what he was about to do. The prince always came to Yuuri last, before the evening wound down so he would never have to rush through their time together to speak to the other suitors. Knowing that the cameras were upon them, Yuuri was careful about the information he divulged. 

 

“Your highness, thank you for joining me. It’s wonderful to have friends isn’t it?”

 

Victor had raised an eyebrow at that. Yuuri had not addressed him so formally since one of the first days at the palace, before he was able to speak coherently with the prince. Slowly, he responded, “Yes...friends are wonderful. Tell me Yuuri, is something on your mind?”

 

“I’m just looking forward to visiting with my good friend, Phichit. We are  _ such  _ good friends, I enjoy telling him  _ every _ thing going on in my life.”

 

“Everything?” Victor mused. He nodded his understanding, “And Phichit, do you trust him? It is hard to find trustworthy friends when you’re competing against them.”

 

Yuuri smiled and nodded, knowing this was Victor’s way of giving his permission for him to tell Phichit of their relationship. Thankfully Victor’s acting was much better when he was already posing for cameras, his improvisations when Chris had first discovered their relationship still made Yuuri cringe. 

 

Now it was time to tell Phichit the truth. The man bounced on his hands excitedly as he pleaded again, “Yuuri, tell me what’s going on!”

 

“I _—_ I don’t know where to start so I suppose I’ll just have to dive right in. I think I’m in love with Prince Victor.” Yuuri’s confession tumbled out in a single breath, his words barely discernible from one another.

 

Phichit’s brows knit together in momentary confusion before he chuckled. “Yuuri, I  _ know _ you’re in love with him, you have been forever. Remember? You saw the prince at one of his skating shows and were completely _—_ ”

 

“Smitten with him. Yes. That’s not what I’m saying. Phichit, I think he loves me too.” 

 

“Yuuri, what exactly are you saying right now?”

 

Yuuri took a deep breath and let the words tumble. He told Phichit of the night of the masquerade, how he had met someone who had whisked him away and danced with him under the stars. He confessed that the masked man had kissed him and he was frightened and ran away. Yuuri recounted the guilt he harbored for thinking of other men while he courted the prince and explained why he had been so rigid and clumsy in Victor’s presence.

 

“Do you remember the dinner I shared with Prince Victor, the night Cao Bin left?”

 

His friend nodded to confirm that he did. 

 

“That night, Prince Victor returned my pendant to me.” Yuuri held out his open hand, in the palm of which laid the metal chrysanthemum. “It was him all along, he had been trying to tell me but I had been so nervous I didn’t realize it.”

 

“You’re...dating the crown prince?” It was the first time Yuuri had seen Phichit so surprised. His dark eyes, outlined with perfectly winged liner, were saucers in his head while his mouth hung, unhinged from his jaw. If he weren’t so nervous for his friend’s response, Yuuri would have taken more pride in being the one to stun Phichit Chulanont. 

 

Instead he blushed, something he had been doing a lot of since arriving at the palace. Yuuri nodded, “Yes, I _—_ we _—_ at the end of the Grand Prix, he is going to choose me…”

 

Phichit’s face scrunched up and for a moment Yuuri thought he might be mad. He couldn’t exactly blame the man, regardless of friendship they were still competitors and Yuuri had already won. The Thai man remained silent, an emotional journey playing on his face before he spoke. 

 

“This whole thing is a secret?”

 

“Until the Grand Prix ends, it has to be. Please don’t _—_ ”

 

“I’m not going to tell anyone,” Phichit interrupted, looking a bit hurt that Yuuri would think that. “I’d just like to know if anyone else knows.”

 

Yuuri shook his head. “Just you...oh, and Chris. He found us about a day after it started.”

 

Phichit waggled his eyebrows in response, “Your secret is safe with me, but Yuuri?”

 

His friend hummed in response, thankful to have finally gotten the weight off his chest. 

 

“Since you took the prince off the table, is the  _ Hand _ of the Prince available?”

 

> **_“Sunshine of Bangkok” Pulling Out of Grand Prix?_ **
> 
> _ —  _ Eshlee Wagoner,  _ The Royal Insider _
> 
> _ Phichit Chulanont, heir to the Cricetinae Media empire and Bankok’s darling, exhibited some rather unusual behavior last week. We’re rounding out to the last two weeks of the competition and you can tell the pressure is beginning to take its toll on our remaining candidates. Especially as it becomes clearer where the prince’s heart lies.  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ Perhaps it was jealousy, or maybe our Sunshine of Bankok just isn’t feeling the royal love but at last Friday’s dinner he was very short and impatient with the prince. We could tell that HRH was confused by the interaction as well and hope it was just a bad day for Phichit Chulanont. While Kastuki (Hasetsu) has started to become a realistic possibility for the prince’s future husband, Chulanont should not be counted out just yet. We’re pleased to see that this week he has been back to his cheerful self, although there have been some  _ looks _ toward the other candidates. _
> 
>  
> 
> **_Royal Wedding Date Set Before Crown Prince Chooses Groom_ **
> 
>  
> 
> **_Gold? Silver? Diamond? Sapphire? Here’s Our Pick For the Royal Engagement Rings_ **

~♕~

 

“Only two more weeks,” Victor murmured, his breath hot on Yuuri’s ear. The man shivered in response before nuzzling his boyfriend in return, smile buried in the crook of the prince’s neck. 

 

It was late and the clock in the corner of their secret room ticked its warning as the minutes waned. They had managed to keep their relationship hidden for nearly a month, though plenty of new sources had speculated that Victor might choose Yuuri at the end of the competition. That was exactly how they wanted things to happen, for it to appear as Yuuri had won the Grand Prix and no one would ever be the wiser of their stolen evenings together. 

 

While the couple was pleased with how things had transpired, there was a definite rift between the candidates. Guang Hong and Leo had both been pouting a fair amount now that Victor was paying more attention to Yuuri, while Michele had taken to glaring at the raven-haired suitor when the prince wasn’t around. If it weren’t for Phichit it might have bothered him more but now that his friend was aware of the real story, he was unafraid to return the dirty looks. 

 

Yuuri didn’t mind that, it was nice to have some support even when Phichit occasionally took things too far. Just after Yuuri had opened up to him, the man had attempted to throw the competition a bit by purposely acting indifferent towards Victor. The prince had been thoroughly confused until the Thai man shot him a wink after the cameras cleared out. Yuuri had a conversation with his friend about being conspicuous and Phichit had resigned himself to defending Yuuri against the other candidates instead. 

 

The worst of the lot, to no surprise, had been JJ. While the others were rather tame in their response, Otabek and Emil had backed off completely after noticing the prince’s growing affections, the duke had been shamelessly open about his dislike in the competition’s development. 

 

“Does the prince pity the little piggy?” He would whisper on the way back to the candidates’ quarters. 

 

“Is the piggy skipping breakfast? Good, I don’t think he needs it.” JJ snapped when Yuuri arrived late to their morning meal.

 

The duke hadn’t necessarily  _ done  _ anything harmful to Yuuri but his incessant, malicious teasing had been starting to get to the man. 

 

Yuuri was very glad that there were only two weeks left of the Grand Prix, though he did enjoy the thrill of the secret. It made his time with Victor feel as if it really was just the two of them, nobody else in the world. 

 

Catching his lips in a familiar kiss, Victor gave an exasperated sigh. “I’d prefer to continue kissing you all night, but I worry it’s getting late.”

 

Falling back into another, more lasting, kiss, Yuuri groaned in agreement. Victor was right, they didn’t need Lilia suspecting things and she had already been cross with him once that week for being late to breakfast. The call of sleep beckoned him, but the warmth of his prince’s arms was more pleasurable in the present. Finally Victor prodded his boyfriend in the side as he purred into his ear, “Yuuri, if you don’t get going then I’m going to spend all my time with JJ tomorrow after dinner.”

 

Though he knew the prince was bluffing, such a thing would be worse for Victor to endure than for Yuuri to witness, Yuuri conceded. He slipped off the bed with a final kiss and sighed deeply. Silver locks splayed on the pillows, lips red and swollen from their kisses, Victor was a vision to behold. 

 

“Goodnight, Victor,” Yuuri purred as he slipped out the bedchamber door into the hallway where his bare feet met the cold marble floors. At Christophe’s advice, they left the room separately at night, about five minutes apart. 

 

Tonight it was Yuuri’s turn to go first and he carefully padded down the corridor, his icy feet only too delighted to carry him to his warm bed. As he rounded the corner, he came face to face with the mirror at the end of the hall. It was at that moment that Yuuri’s blood ran cold. 

 

“I’ve been wondering where you run off to each night,” crooned a deep voice from behind him. 

 

Yuuri didn’t need to turn around to know whose voice that was, he had heard it plenty since he arrived at the palace. Still, he craned his neck over his shoulder to see JJ’s familiar shark tooth grin. His dark beady eyes were focused on Yuuri as if he were prey. 

 

Slowly, the man began to stalk forward. His shadow looming over Yuuri until they were face to face. “Is this what you’ve been doing all along, piggy? Flirting with the prince during the day and running off to fuck the guards at night?”

 

Mouth dry, Yuuri was unable to speak. He was glad that Victor’s room was in the opposite direction from their secret room, even if he was caught he could at least spare Victor the disgrace. No matter what the consequences, he made up his mind to protect the prince. 

 

JJ looked disappointed at the lack of response. He sneered and grabbed Yuuri by the arm. “I’m sick of you stepping on my toes, pig. That cro _—_ prince, is mine! I’m the only one here deserving of him and your act isn’t fooling anyone.”

 

Adrenaline hitting him all at once, Yuuri tried to pull from the man’s grasp only to find JJ’s hand tightening around him. He dragged him through the hall, bypassing the northern wing and heading straight to the west. His voice grew loud, echoing off the walls as he shouted, “Baroness Baranovskaya! Come look what I’ve found!”

 

He continued to call out for Lilia until she appeared in one of the doorways looking harried and furious, a robe clutched around her. “Duke Leroy what is the meaning of this! It is past midnight and I see  _ two _ candidates out of their quarters, this is not the proper decorum for a fut _—_ ”

 

“Kastuki has been sneaking out of his room every night. He meets a member of the royal guard in an old bedchamber and doesn’t return until near dawn.” JJ interrupted. He shoved Yuuri forward so he tumbled onto the cold marble. Yuuri’s knees would be bruised come the morning, for they caught his fall and he knelt in front of Lilia with his hands pressed to the floor. He kept his head facing down as hot tears began to well in his eyes. 

 

“I think we both know what he’s been up to, stowed away for hours every night!” 

 

“Enough!” Lilia snapped, silencing the duke’s jeers. She looked at the raven-haired man before her and paused before kneeling in front of him. “Katsuki Yuuri, is this true?”

 

Yuuri looked up at her, the motion of which made his tears stream down his face. “I _—_ I never meant to _—_ I just...yes.” 

 

_ It’s the only way to protect Victor _ , he reminded himself as he confessed to the accusations. His stomach wrenched itself in agony with the realization of what was happening. 

 

Slowly, Lilia stood and straightened her robe. “To think I put my faith in you, Katsuki Yuuri. No one had expressed such affection toward the prince before, you would have made a fine king consort.”

 

Her expression turned to disgust as she curled her upper lip into a sneer. “Go pack your things,” she spat, “I will call someone to take you home. You’ve brought dishonor on your family and your province, the prince will be informed of your transgressions against him. Duke Leroy return to your quarters at once.”

 

Yuuri’s arms gave out beneath him as Lilia turned back to her room and JJ made way toward his. Silent sobs racked his body against the floor, tears pooling. It had been too wonderful to be real, his whirlwind romance with the prince. Nothing good happened to a commoner like himself and he was foolish to think he deserved a fairytale. 

 

While Yuuri had always said he loved the prince from the moment he first laid eyes on him, it wasn’t until he was alone in the corridor, trembling hands fighting to help himself stand up as his body quivered in agony, that his heart confirmed what he already knew. 

 

Kastuki Yuuri loved Victor Nikiforov. Not the prince, not the crown, or any of his titles. He loved the man who never stopped pursuing him despite his ignorance. He loved the man who surprised him with his charming, if not a bit eccentric, antics. He loved the man who made him laugh.

 

He loved Victor so much that he took the fall for him. Finally standing, Yuuri made his way down the empty, looming corridors to gather his things, knowing that the moments he had shared with Victor not an hour before, would be the last memories he would have of him. 

 

Their fairytale was over and Yuuri was going home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Hey, so I'm really sorry to any JJ-lovers reading this. I actually thought he redeemed himself a bit in the series, but every story needs a villain doesn't it?
> 
> We have two more chapters to go and quite the situation on our hands, but you all knew happily ever afters aren't so easy, right?
> 
> Feel free to yell at me in the comments or come berate me on 


	6. The Duke’s Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A heartbreak is one of the worst kinds of pain. While Yuuri wallows and Prince Victor rages, it takes advice from a duke for them to have a chance at fixing their broken fairytale. 
> 
> In which a surprising character reminds the prince of his own ridiculous antics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOI Royalty Week  
> Day 6: Mentors, Advisors, and Servants  
> From close friends and confidantes to prying eyes and institutional barriers, these people can facilitate the greatest change, or pose deadly challenges. 
> 
> So I will disclaim here that I followed the prompt here a bit loosely as I wanted the story to still fit together. 
> 
> I'm still sorry about JJ.

> **_Breaking Grand Prix Update: Unknown Candidate Leaves Palace!_ **
> 
> _ — _ Zhenia Madvadve,  _ The Capitol Report _
> 
> _ Another candidate has left the competition. While our reporting team is still trying to get in contact with the palace for an official statement, someone was seen being escorted from the eastern wing where the Grand Prix candidates have been staying although the identity has not yet been confirmed.  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ We hope it is an honorable dismissal, perhaps one of the remaining nine has elected to go home given that the Prince Victor’s affections have been more clearly directed within the past week. Unfortunately, it looks like there might be a scandal about to break given that the presumed candidate was escorted out before dawn.   _
> 
>  
> 
> _ Make sure to  _ **_Subscribe to Capitol Updates_ ** _ to get the latest updates on this story! _
> 
>   
>    
> 

~♕~

Around 3 am, Katsuki Yuuri was ushered out of the palace by the royal guard. He had collected the few things he brought with him to the palace and was given no time to do anything else before leaving. Briefly he wondered if he should run back into the palace and call out for Victor, knowing his prince would no doubt rush to his aid and clear up the entire situation. Yuuri couldn’t, not after confessing to JJ’s accusations. He consoled himself with the reminder that he was sparing Victor the consequences of their actions and as the black town car pulled out of the palace drive he refused to let himself look back. 

 

He shouldn’t have been surprised really. From the moment he was selected for the Grand Prix he had told himself that he wouldn’t win. There was no fairytale ending for a boy who grew up in his parent’s hot springs, happily ever after wasn’t designed for Yuuri. And yet, there had always been some small part of him that believed it  _ could _ be him. The same part that let him fall in love with the prince, the part that let him stow away each night to spend time with Victor, the part of him that kissed the prince that night in the lily garden. 

 

In the back of the town car, Yuuri wept. Silent rivers streaked his face and shook his shoulders. No sound came from his lips as he gritted his teeth and fought through the sobs.  _ You should have expected this _ , he told himself but the pain still lingered. 

 

His heart had been reduced to mere fragments, shards of glass that stuck his ribs as he caught his breath. An inferno, his chest ached and burned as he fondly remembered Victor. The endless blue of his eyes, how his alabaster skin stretched taught over his cheekbones, how his lips twisted to a heart when he was filled with mirth, and the darkness that took over his face when he pulled back from a kiss to gaze at Yuuri. The prince had been more perfect that Yuuri could have ever imagined, and for a few weeks, he had been his. 

 

Yuuri arrived home just as the sun began to peak over the horizon, painting the sky with streaks of gold. Hues of violet gave way to a clear blue that was almost too painful for Yuuri to look at, he wondered if he would ever be able to see the color without thinking of his lost love. His family welcomed him inside and asked no questions. While it gave no details, his countenance alone was a suggestion of what had happened. He was home because he had lost, and for now that was enough. 

 

Posters of the prince met Yuuri when he stepped inside his room, slinging his single duffel bag onto the bed. Emotions hot and pulsing, began to churn in his stomach, threatening to turn into the unraveling sobs of before. 

 

His favorite poster of the prince hung just above his bed, the gloss faded where Yuuri had often pressed his lips to it. Tucking his knees up onto the bed, Yuuri reached for a corner of the poster sticking up from the wall. The Victor in the poster stared at him with a glass smile, after having been around the genuine thing for so long it was jarring to see the fake persona fed to the public. Victor was strong and intelligent, he would make a fine king but there were layers beneath his princely façade that were locked away where Yuuri once held the key. 

 

Absently Yuuri’s fingers curled around the edge of the poster and pulled. A tear formed along the corner, stretching into the background but not yet touching the posed prince. It was satisfying watching the way the paper fell apart. In some ways Yuuri felt as if he was watching himself, slowly unravelling, he hadn’t noticed when the rip had cut through Victor. He began to pick at another poster, then another, each one crumbling apart at his touch. 

 

At some point he was no longer carefully tearing corners. Both hands were in motion, tearing the posters from the wall and then shredding them. Multicolored snowflakes fell around him with every sweep of his arm, more coming to join them until the walls were bare. There were a few spots of discoloration, places where posters had failed to protect from the sun, but otherwise the walls were as blank as Yuuri’s own face. 

 

Looking around him, he saw pieces of Victor. Samplings of posters he had once gazed upon with an affection he had thought was love. Yuuri hadn’t known what love was. It had been an infatuation, a crush, an idealization of the prince. To really love Victor was something spectacular and wonderful, it was a privilege Yuuri had been gifted with and then ripped from all too soon. 

 

Exhaustion finally overcame the man and he sank from his knees into the musty pillows. He inhaled deeply, desperate for something comforting but was met with the clean scent of detergent and the staleness from his time away. There was no smell of lilies blowing in the crisp fall air, nor the heady musk of Victor’s expensive colognes. The sheets around him were not golden silks illuminated luxuriously in candlelight and the clock on the wall only ticked the hours of separation. Time had once brought him hope, counting down the minutes until he saw Victor, counting down the days when they would be together. He forgot that time could be such a painful reminder. 

 

No more tears came, despite the tingling pain in his eyes. Yuuri’s head cried out and pulsed from the lack of sleep. He gave in, letting his eyes flutter shut as sleep provided its relief. 

 

> **_Royal Scandal-Katsuki Yuuri Banished From Palace?_ **
> 
> _ — Aiden Rippen, The Daily Crown _
> 
> _ Say it ain’t so! The identity of the candidate dismissed from the palace at three this morning has been confirmed. It seems that Hasetsu candidate Kastuki Yuuri has been banished from the competition after being caught sneaking out of his quarters. While our palace source wishes to remain anonymous, they did confirm that the Grand Prix will still move forward as planned.  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ It’s no secret that Katsuki had become the obvious choice for the prince’s hand, between the released footage and what has been revealed about the two on  _ Ciao Ciao Chat _ there was no doubt that the two were starting a fairytale romance together. With the clear front runner of the competition gone, everyone is dying to know who will be at the top of Prince Victor’s list. _
> 
>  
> 
> **_Definite Timeline of Prince Victor and Katsuki Yuuri’s Romance_ **
> 
>  
> 
> **_“Love is Stupid” Duke Yuri Plisetsky Scoffs at Idea of Having His Own Grand Prix_ **

 

~♕~

 

The press was buzzing with news of Yuuri’s departure before the prince had opened his eyes. As he was being escorted out, a reporter happened to be just outside the palace gate, ready with a camera. There was always one of two hungry beasts stalking the palace walls, waiting for a succulent story to sing their parasitic fangs into. Now they had gotten one. 

 

Christophe barged into Victor’s room well before his usual time. Startled, the prince sleepily sat up, attempting to rub the exhaustion from his eyes as a yawn overtook his body. Noticing the snoozing poodle at the foot of his bed and the absence of the usual dawn, his brows knit together in concern. 

 

“Chris, what is the—”

 

“There’s no time! Get up, we have to do something,  _ now _ .”

 

In all their years of knowing each other, Christophe had always been careful in how he addressed the prince. Even when he disagreed with Victor, he always knew his place. Now he barked commands, not bothering with titles or an apologetic tone. The prince was taken aback but his instinct told him something was wrong for his friend to act in this manner. 

 

He obeyed, throwing back the covers over his disgruntled dog as he removed himself from the bed. Flinging back the doors of his wardrobe he shot a warning look over his shoulder.  _ There had better be a good reason for this.  _

 

The Hand of the Prince understood the glance but waited until the prince was dressed before he said anything.

 

“Is there a reason I’m fully dressed before the sun has woken up?” Victor snapped. True to his word, the rays were only just beginning to peek into his bay window. 

 

Chris chewed at his lip nervously, the prince’s stomach churned in warning. There wasn’t much that could give his friend such pause. 

 

“Last night...on his way back to his room, Yuuri was found.”

 

“Found? By whom? Where is he now?”

 

Victor made his way to the door, his fingers brushing the handle as he felt Christophe’s palm on his chest. Darkened blues met the worried jade eyes that pleaded with him. 

 

“Christophe,” Victor said slowly, his hand falling away from the door. “Where is Yuuri?”

 

“Gone, sire.”

 

“Gone where?” The prince pressed. He broke his locked gaze with Chris, turning his head toward where his poodle had resumed her slumber warm in the new morning rays as he felt tears prickling at his eyes. 

 

“It was JJ who found him, I—I’m not sure what happened but he was sent home last night. He’s been...banished from the competition.” The words were marked with hesitations, either from Chris’ own flood of emotion or his apprehension at Victor’s expression. The prince’s eyes were narrowed and there was a sharpness there unlike any Christophe had ever seen. 

 

The prince had been mad before. He had been mad when his parents announced their abdication without consulting him first. He had been mad when the royal council forced him to find a husband. This was new, it was more than just anger. It was a pure rage, a fire crackling in the hearth of his heart. A seething hatred that burned beneath the sapphire. 

 

Without another word, the prince exited his room with his friend trailing closely behind. 

 

> **_GrandPrixWatchxx_ **
> 
> **_Victuuri is dead. I’m dead._ **
> 
> _ Guys. Katsuki Yuuri was escorted from the palace this morning and I. Am. Not. Okay. Victuuri is dead and everything else is cancelled. I know that I started out rooting for JJ, but footage doesn’t lie and have you SEEN the way Prince Victor looks at Yuuri. Like, even when he’s talking to other candidates!  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ I’m mad, I’m crying, and I don’t know how we are ever going to recover from this. Did they have a fight? Is this part of some grand political plan (it was no secret that Duke Leroy was the royal council’s choice) All I know is I need answers! Thanks for listening to me rage, here’s some screenshots of HRH staring at Yuuri. Get you a man that looks at you like this! _
> 
>  
> 
> _ #GrandPrixWatch #Prince Victor Picks A Groom #Victuuri #Victuuri is Dead #Everything Hurts and I’m dying _
> 
>  
> 
> 2,178 notes

~♕~

 

The candidates were just arriving to breakfast when the crown prince burst through the heavy wooden doors, flinging them back as if they were weightless. There was the beginning of a snarl on his face as his eyes raked over the eight men around the table. 

 

Victor’s eyes rested on the seat beside Phichit, Yuuri’s seat. It was empty. No sign of someone having sat there at all that morning, only confirming what Christophe had told him. Hot rage filled him once more and he searched the table again for the man responsible for his love’s absence. 

 

At the head of the table sat the duke. His shark toothed grin still in place, not an ounce of shame or remorse in his countenance. It only served to fuel the prince’s anger. 

 

Phichit’s eyes were dark with fear and on the other side of him even the stoic Michele looked on with apprehension. The younger candidates, sweet Leo and the innocent Guang Hong both trembled, clutching the table to keep themselves upright out of respect for their future king. 

 

The prince realized this and attempted to reign himself in, plastering on a false smile held together by mere strings. “My apologies,” he simpered. “I didn’t mean to startle anyone, please sit down.” 

 

Victor stalked alongside the dining table, his hand running along the backs of the chairs. He counted softly under his breath, “One...two...three…” The prince halted at the end of the row.

 

“Ten chairs, eight candidates. Has anyone seen Yuuri?”

 

It was Emil who bravely piped up, “N-No your highness, he never came to breakfast.”

 

“Interesting.” The prince leaned over so his lips brushed against JJ’s ear. “Isn’t that interesting.”

 

Straightening up, he addressed the room once more. “ _ Why _ is Yuuri missing?”

 

The duke cleared his throat, ready to offer his explanation. “I caught him, your highness. He was sneaking out to meet someone from the guard, his heart wasn’t true to you!”

 

Victor stood silently beside JJ for a moment. All eyes in the room were upon him as the entire room waited with bated breath. Phichit spared a glance to Christophe, their eyes holding a worried conversation interrupted by the prince’s scream. 

 

“You idiot!” He lunged at the duke, tackling the man out of his chair and onto the floor. He planted his hands on either side of the duke’s head as he continued to berate him. 

 

“You weaseling idiot! Who are you to pass judgement on Yuuri when you’ve wanted nothing but my crown since you first arrived? You imbecile!” Victor spat at the duke, tears began to stream down his face as his rage consumed him. 

 

He was angry with JJ, that was true. Sitting atop him screaming into his face would do nothing to bring Yuuri back, he was already home in Hasetsu. Still he continued to yell until he felt a pair of firm hands on his shoulders, removing him from the duke. “How could you?” He sobbed.

 

“That’s quite enough.” Lilia’s sharp reprimand cut through Victor’s haze of emotion. “He was dismissed for being unfaithful to the crown and the duke only served to bring my attentions to it. It was  _ I  _ who sent Katsuki Yuuri home, are you going to tackle me to the ground as well?”

 

Victor said nothing. It was Chris who had come to his rescue, his hands still planted firm on the prince’s shoulder, the only thing holding him in the moment. His body slumped against the Swiss man. 

 

“I must say, this decorum is startling coming from someone set to become king in barely a month.” The baroness scolded. Her lip curled in disgust as she surveyed the crown prince, always so poised and regal, reduced to the sniveling form in front of her. 

 

“It was me,” Victor croaked softly. 

 

“I beg your pardon?”

 

“It was me!” He repeated, peeling himself from Christophe’s side and standing firm with his fists balled at his side. He brought his chin forward, meeting Lilia’s steely gaze defiantly. 

 

“Yuuri and I were in love, that’s why he was out of his room. He was returning from seeing me. Nothing...happened, it wasn’t like that. I could be myself with him and he loved me, not the prince or the crown.” Victor’s voice started strong and began to falter as he spoke fondly of the man who stole his heart. “I was going to marry him, but out of respect for tradition, for this stupid competition that  _ you organized _ I made him wait with me. Now he’s gone.”

 

The baroness’ lips wavered from their firm line. “What’s done is done I’m afraid. You’ll have to find another husband. All of you, to your quarters or you’ll be late to your first lesson.”

 

The candidates scattered, including the duke who nervously removed himself from the floor with a cautionary glance at the prince as if he expected him to tackle him once more.

 

“I suggest you do the same,  _ your highness _ ,” Lilia scolded. She turned and walked stiffly from the room leaving only Chris and Victor standing alone in the room. 

 

> **_Candidate Katsuki Spotted in Hasetsu_ **
> 
> _ — _ Kam Yanu _ , The Daily Crown _
> 
> _ Katsuki Yuuri has been found! Multiple anonymous sources have confirmed that the candidate, who was removed from the Grand Prix competition this morning, has been seen in his hometown in the Hasetsu province. The former candidate exited a black car and went straight into his family’s onsen where he has yet to be seen emerge from. No doubt the candidate is hiding from the scandal that lurks beneath the surface of this story. _
> 
>  
> 
> _ Meanwhile, HRH has declined to comment on the situation while the official moderator of the Grand Prix Baroness Lilia Baranovskaya has confirmed that the competition will move forward as planned. She gave an official statement at this afternoon’s press conference: _
> 
> _ “There are still eight candidates left and I’m sure that his highness will find a suitable husband among them.” _
> 
> **_Keep Reading_ **
> 
>  
> 
> **_Duke Leroy, Phichit Chulanont, and Leo de la Iglesia Emerge as New Top Three_ **
> 
>  
> 
> **_Who is Baroness Baranovskaya? Everything You Need To Know About the GP Moderator_ **

~♕~

 

After the mess of the morning, Victor found himself wandering listlessly through the eastern wing of the palace tracing the walls with his hand as he mourned his lost love. Coming to the end of the corridor he spotted a door ajar and went to investigate. He cautiously pried the door open further and his breath escaped him. 

 

It was Yuuri’s old room. His belongings were gone but a few outfits from the palace were still strewn across the bed. The prince ventured inside, picking up the suit Yuuri had worn the night when Victor revealed himself. Pressing it to his face, he inhaled, trying to find the last lingering bits of Yuuri within the palace. The scent was faint and fleeting, serving only to drive the hunger of his heart. 

 

He laid across the bed, atop all of the clothes. Yuuri had been sent away in the middle of the night without sleep, without a chance to say goodbye, all because of Victor’s own selfishness.

 

No more rage or anger stirred within the prince as he began to sob. He managed a few tears but his body was still spent from the morning. Victor snaked his arms under one of the pillows, when he felt something cold against his hand. He sat up and quickly whisked the pillow away to unveil what lie beneath it. 

 

There, nestled still in Victor’s monogrammed handkerchief, was the chrysanthemum pendant. It was heartbreaking, to find Yuuri’s pendant when the man himself was gone. He clutched the token in his hand and brought it to his chest, looking up to the ceiling as if pleading with some higher power to bring Yuuri back to him.

 

Victor settled down onto the bed, resting his head on the remaining pillows as he pressed the pendant, still wrapped in cloth, to his lips. It was here that he woke, unsure of how much time had passed. 

 

A rapping on the door had brought him out of his slumber, grumbling as he opened the door. He wasn’t sure who he was expecting on the other side, but there couldn’t have been a more surprising option than who he found. 

 

Duke Yuri Plisetsky, his royal cousin, stood on the other side of the door glaring. “Oi, I finally found you,” he pushed by the prince into the room. “What are you doing in here?”

 

“This was Yuuri’s room,” Victor explained, closing the door and settling back onto the bed.

 

“Yea, I heard what happened. That bastard JJ—“

 

“Language, Yura.”

 

“He is! I’ve always hated him and now look at you,” the young royal spat, “The press would have a field day with you.”

 

“My one true love is gone, I’m allowed to be upset,” Victor snapped.

 

“Yea, yea,” Yuri waved his hand, dismissing the prince’s words. “I don’t see why you’re laying here sniveling about it though.”

 

“What am I supposed to do?”

 

“Something! Anything! I’m going to get real sick of your bullsh—,”

 

“Language!”

 

“Bullshit. That’s what it is. He’s not dead, just go do something crazy and dramatic like you always do, I’m sure he’ll love it.”

 

“He’s not dead…” Victor repeated in a hushed tone, barely more than a whisper. His face lit up. “Yura, Yuuri is here! In this kingdom!”

 

“Yea, I know.”

 

“I’m going to find him!”

 

“Of course you are.” Yuri rolled his eyes as the prince flung his arms around him, squeezing him tightly.

 

“Thank you,” Victor murmured, pressing a thankful kiss on top of the younger man’s head. He snatched the pendant off the bed and made his way to the door, pausing just before he disappeared into the corridor. He cast a parting glance over his shoulder and gave his cousin a wry smile.

 

“Let’s not tell anyone about this, shall we?”

  
  


> **_Red Alert: Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov is Missing_ **
> 
> _ — _ Yakov Feltsman _ , Speaker of the King _
> 
> _ His Royal Majesty King Dmitriviech has issued a red alert for the entire kingdom after his son’s disappearance this afternoon. Prince Victor was last seen in the candidates’ wing of the palace wearing a dark gray suit. The royal guard has been dispersed throughout the kingdom and local government has been made aware of the situation.  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ It is your civic duty to report any sightings of the missing prince to the royal council at once. Please see the contact information before to file a sighting report.  _
> 
>  
> 
> **_Click for More_ **

~♕~

 

Yuuri had yet to emerge from his room despite the urging of his family. His father, his mother, and even Mari had all stopped by his door to offer him food or a listening ear. He didn’t want to eat and he wasn’t ready to talk about what had transpired at the palace. Surely they already knew, he wouldn’t have put it past the press to have already leaked the story. 

 

Every time he tried to imagine how he could tell his family what he had done, it only made his blood boil. He had chosen to take the fall for Victor, but this would mean that his prince would have to choose a new husband. If he chose Phichit, Yuuri supposed he could bear it. He told himself that he would want what was best for his friend but he couldn’t ever be happy watching someone else take that role. 

 

At least he could be certain that it would not be JJ sitting on the throne. Even if Victor was never told the full story of what had happened, there would be no possible chance that the prince would pick the insufferable duke. All JJ had desired was a place on the throne, he loved the crown not the prince.  _ He _ should have been the one cast out of the palace, he had no interest in Victor at all. 

 

With a sigh, Yuuri rolled over on his bed. He clutched the pillows tighter to him, still covered in the shreds of posters from his earlier rampage. After he threw the scraps of paper away, he would have nothing in his possession to remind him of the prince. He had left all the outfits he had worn in Victor’s presence, most of which had been given to him by the palace in the first place, for he could never wear them again without thinking of their time together. The most painful thing he left was the chrysanthemum pendant. A token of luck bestowed on him by the provincial governor that had turned into a symbol of love for his affair with the prince. 

 

It had almost gone with him, set on top of his lone duffel as he fetched the last of his toiletries. When the knock on the door came to retrieve him, however, he removed it from his bag and slipped it under the pillow where he had always kept it. He couldn’t bring it back to Hasetsu, couldn’t have that reminder looming over him as he tried to move on, it would be poison to his already bleeding heart. 

 

“Yuuri?” Mari’s voice came through his door, tentative and concerned. Inside his room, Yuuri merely groaned, tired of his family checking up on him. 

 

“Go away,” he whined, shoving himself further into his pillows. 

 

“Yuuri, you need to come out of there. Someone is here to see you.”

 

His ears perked up at that. There was nobody outside of his family that he could imagine would be coming to see him, unless his mother had let reported come into the onsen.  _ Minako _ ?  _ Phichit _ ? It would have been impossible for them, for anyone, to leave the palace and while his heart momentarily wondered if it could be his prince coming to rescue him, he pushed the thought away in an instant. It would be completely ridiculous and irresponsible for Victor to run away from the palace, and for what? For a man he had met a few weeks ago. That wasn’t enough. 

 

“ _ Yuuri.” _ His sister called again, less patient this time. It was comforting having her snap at him instead of treating him like he was made of glass. 

 

Yuuri conceded, sliding off his bed and padding his way to the door. He opened it a sliver, just enough for one dark eye to peek out. “What?”

 

“You need to come outside,  _ now _ .”

 

“I don’t want to see anyone, I’ve barely slept and I haven’t showered.”

 

“Then rinse off, fast. You’ve been in your room all day what have you been _ — _ ”

 

The last word of the sentence fell away. Through the crack in the door Mari was able to spot the unfamiliar blank walls of her little brother’s room and the piles of shredded paper littering his bed and floor. She pursed her lips together and sighed, “Just, hurry up.”

 

Grumbling all the while, Yuuri gave in. He didn’t have the energy to argue back today. His shower was refreshing, just enough to wake him up. He pulled on a simple outfit hanging from the back of a chair and snatched his glasses of the desk, slipping them on as his left his room.

 

Something was off. Yuuri could tell from the moment he arrived in the onsen lobby only to find it completely empty.

 

“Mari? Okaa-san? Oto- _ — _ ”

 

Yuuri’s words cut off into a gasp of surprise. Makkachin, or a dog that looked identical to her, padded into the lobby from the front door. He hadn’t noticed the door was open and his eyes focused there as he obliged the poodle with a few scratches. “What are you doing here?” he murmured softly to the pup. 

 

Straightening, he patted his leg for her to follow him as he made way for the front of the onsen. November in Hasetsu meant color. The leaves fell in a rainbow, a myriad of color caught on the evening breeze. It was breathtaking but that wasn’t where Yuuri’s eyes lingered. 

 

A sea of reporters and citizens of Hasetsu were crowded in the street, held off by a few officers that had gathered around. The commotion was confusing and his eyes searched the crowd for his family. 

 

“Yuuri!”

 

Yuuri’s head whipped toward the sound of his name, his family stood just off the the side of the large archway at the end of the property, underneath one of the autumn painted trees. While Yuuri loved his family, this was not what caused his heart to palpitate, beating faster until he was certain it would escape from his chest. He took off in a sprint, the cheers of the crowd in the streets urging him on. Kneeling under the tree, colors blowing around him, was the crown prince.

 

Victor looked as if he had ran the entire way from the Capitol to Hasetsu, his normally perfect hair had flyaways and a few colorful leaves tangled up in it. Endless blues sparkled in the evening sun as they never left Yuuri, following him until he stood before his prince. 

 

“What are you doing here?” Yuuri breathed. Victor gave him no response, pulling something from the breast pocket of his suit, rumpled from travel. He took one of Yuuri’s hands and pressed a handkerchief to his palm before wrapping their fingers around it together. They both knew what was inside, not needing to peel back the cloth to reveal the silver pendant.

 

“I love you,” Victor answered. It came in a single breathe, like a secret he had been ready to get off his chest for some time now. A few delicate tears had begun to burn in Yuuri’s eye, momentarily letting his gaze break from Victor to glance at the throngs of people screaming from the streets. 

 

“I love you too, but Victor _ — _ ”

 

The prince shook his head, he had already heard what he needed to know. He pressed against the pendant and there _ — _ in front of the entire capital of Hasetsu, Yuuri’s family, and the few officers of the law that were present _ — _ Victor said the the words he had wanted to say from the moment that Yuuri kissed him in the lily garden. 

 

“Marry me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go! Our fairytale is almost over, and while I'm excited to get back to working on my current WIP I'm going to miss this AU!
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking with me this week, especially after the last chapter. Your response has been mind boggling and means the absolute most to me! I can't wait to give you the happily ever after we've all been waiting for. 
> 
> I had some art planned for this AU, but writing every day takes a bit of time. I’ll be putting some illustrated scenes up on my Tumblr over the next few weeks!


	7. The Prince's Groom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not even the crown itself could keep the prince from his one true love. The Grand Prix comes to a surprising conclusion and Yuuri learns that fairytale endings really do exist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOI Royalty Week  
> Day 7: Happily Ever After  
> A fairytale apotheosis. A dream come true. We craft a new beginning today, in our promises and our connection.
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to the readers who gave me constant support over the course of the past week. Nearly each one of these chapters was written the night before posting. It was exhausting but your amazing support kept me going and helped this story come to fruition. This one is for you.

> **_GrandPrixWatchxx_ **
> 
> **_HRH is in Hasetsu!!_ **
> 
> _ OHMYGOD! Someone just leaked pictures of a silver-haired tourist going around in Hasetsu asking for directions to Yuu-topia WHICH IS THE ONSEN RUN BY THE KATSUKI FAMILY. _
> 
>  
> 
> _ HRH CP Victor Nikiforov is running around Hasetsu trying to find the man he loves! I knew there was no way those rumors about Yuuri were true. Victuuri is real, they are in love, and he’s going to win the Grand Prix! I linked the pictures below. They are of HRH, fight me on it.  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ Stay tuned! _
> 
>  
> 
> **_PHOTOS_ **
> 
>  
> 
> _ #GrandPrixWatchxx #Runaway HRH #Victuuri is real #I cant stop screaming #brb running to Hasetsu to find Yuuri _
> 
> _ 3,109 notes _

 

~♕~

 

There were a lot of things that happened in Yuuri’s life that he had never expected. He never thought that he would ever visit the royal palace, or become friends with the heir to a media empire worth more money than he would see in his lifetime. He never even considered that he would be selected out of millions to compete for the prince’s hand in marriage and he most certainly did not think he would be banished from the same competition. All of these events had been very unexpected and yet somehow they happened. Somehow the nameless man from Hasetsu had graced the headlines of news tabloids and had his name mashed with the crown prince’s because strangers across the kingdom could see their love. 

 

If someone had told Yuuri that these things would happen to him, he would have never believed them. Yet none of these were the most surprising to happen to Katsuki Yuuri. No, the most surprising thing to happen to Katsuki Yuuri was when he emerged from his family’s onsen to find an entire city being held in the streets as they watched the crown prince of Terra Incognita get down on one knee and propose to him. 

 

As surprising as it was, Yuuri knew exactly what to do.

 

“Marry me.”

 

“Yes.”

 

It wasn’t clear who tackled who, or whose lips were the first ones to beeline for the other’s, but somehow Prince Victor Nikiforov and his new fiancè were tumbling on the ground. Colorful leaves of autumn tangled in their hair and there would be grass stains on their trousers but neither man cared. Mere minutes ago, Yuuri had lost hope. He thought that the only time he would see his prince would be on the television or plastered across the tabloids. He firmly believed that the next time he saw Victor would be when he was choosing a new husband, one that hadn’t been banished from the competition. 

 

_ The competition,  _ Yuuri remembered the reason they had gotten into this mess in the first place and pulled away from the prince, who tried to continue the kiss. “Victor, wait!”

 

“You can’t take it back, you already said yes.”

 

Yuuri rolled his eyes at the prince’s response. “Victor, what about the Grand Prix?”

 

The pair sat up and Victor pulled Yuuri into his lap, he needed to be able to touch him and know this was still real. He brushed a thumb along his fiancè’s chin and pressed their lips together once more. This time was slower than their demanding kisses of before, it was slow and sensual. Victor led the kiss while his hands began to wander and—

 

“I think you’re going to scar the children.” Mari piped in, reminding them of the fact that they were not alone. 

 

Victor grimaced as he pulled away, his lips already cursing the absence. “Perhaps we should move this conversation inside?” 

 

Yuuri scrambled off the prince’s lap and offered him a hand getting up, which they both knew Victor didn’t need but he accepted the gesture regardless. Their hands remained intertwined as they made their way inside. 

 

“I never thought I’d see you again,” Yuuri murmured after the two were tucked away inside the onsen. He had made Victor wait outside of his room, remembering that it was still littered with poster remnants, and quickly dusted all the pieces he could find into an old shopping bag. The prince pouted outside the door until his fiancè pulled him inside. 

 

“You didn’t think I would come find you?”

 

“I didn’t think you’d be able to.” Yuuri confessed, not wanting to sound like he didn’t have faith in the man he loved. 

 

“Ah, yes well,” Victor sat up against the wall beside the bed and his fingers carded through his hair sheepishly. “You see, nobody actually knows I came to find you.” 

 

Yuuri said nothing. He cocked one brow and his eyes grew as he watched the prince squirm a bit. “As a matter of fact,” Victor chuckled, “There’s a search party out looking for me and the palace has issued a red alert. Honestly I’m a bit surprised that those Hasetsu policemen didn’t tie me up and ship me back to the palace.”

 

“Victor, you didn’t tell  _ anyone _ .”

 

“Not true. Yuri knows.”

 

With a huff, Yuuri stopped pressing. Only because Victor began to press his lips along Yuuri’s jaw, slowly making his way to his lips. He knew that the prince was trying to distract him but Yuuri couldn’t help it, his lips parted greedily as he allowed Victor to devour him in a kiss. One kiss became two, became three, and eventually they lost count, sinking into the pillows until they were interrupted by a knock on the door. 

 

“Your highness?” Mari’s voice called out from the other side of the closed door. “I think there’s someone here to see you.”

 

> **_Prince Victor’s Day Off_ **
> 
> _ —  _ Eshlee Wagoner,  _ The Royal Insider _
> 
> _ Earlier this afternoon, a red alert was issued for the entire kingdom when it was discovered that His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov had gone missing. In light of the Katsuki scandal that broke only hours beforehand, many worry for the prince’s safety. We were able to get in touch with a representative of the royal guard who confirmed that they were being dispatched to search for the prince. _
> 
>  
> 
> _ Now, just hours later, the prince has been found! He appears to be unharmed and looks to have taken a bit of an impromptu road trip to Hasetsu, the home province of candidate Katsuki Yuuri who was removed from the Grand Prix for reasons still undisclosed to the public. Katsuki’s removal was surprising as it appeared that he and the prince had grown close over the course of the past month, perhaps HRH has some unfinished business to attend to? _
> 
>  
> 
> _ Make sure to subscribe to this story for updates as we learn more! _
> 
>  
> 
> **_Click to Subscribe_ **
> 
>  
> 
> **_HRH Found in Hasetsu—Exclusive Photos!_ **
> 
>  
> 
> **_Giacometti Refuses to Comment on Prince’s Absence_ **
> 
>  

~♕~

 

It had taken Lilia approximately all of one minute to guess where the crown prince had run off to. As surprising as he had the capability to be, some things were too predictable. She should have been furious, fully ready to reprimand him harshly upon his return, and she should have pursued the first notice they got from the Hasetsu police department that a certain silver haired royal had been spotted asking around for a Katsuki Yuuri. Yet, she felt calm, almost at peace with the prince’s decision. 

 

She remembered the look in Victor’s eye when he confessed to the truth behind Yuuri’s transgressions. There was a power there that she had seen before in his father, a determination that was unmatched throughout the kingdom. It made her words all the more painful when she dismissed him. That was her duty. The baroness had long served as a member of the royal council, carrying out the decisions made in conjunction with the king, ensuring that she always put the needs of the kingdom first. The kingdom needed Victor, and Victor needed a husband. The council mandated that the husband must be chosen from the Grand Prix candidates, a group that Katsuki Yuuri no longer belonged to. Still, her words left a poor taste in her mouth when she urged Victor to choose a new candidate. 

 

More than anyone, she should know that it is not so easy to move on from true love. 

 

Victor had been a stubborn child, something that stayed with him well into adulthood. It almost would have been admirable if it hadn’t caused the baroness so much trouble. Trouble such as traveling across the kingdom to retrieve the crown prince from his latest impulsive scheme. 

 

Lilia sat across from Victor and Yuuri, her stern countenance only breaking to politely thank Hiroko for her tea. She took a sip, relishing the heat on her tongue as she stared down her cup at the two men in front of her, their hands intertwined on top of the table. 

 

It was Victor who finally broke the silence. 

 

“I’m not coming back without Yuuri.” He insisted firmly, flexing his hand tightly around the other man’s as he met Lilia’s gaze with a defiant glare. 

 

Again, she remained silent. Her eyes traveled to Yuuri, who was not used to such stern looks and balked beneath them. Dark and wide, those doe eyes seemed to plead with her and she let out a faint, undignified sigh. 

 

“I apologize for my actions, Katsuki Yuuri.”

 

Victor nearly squawked in surprise, his free hand flying to his mouth to hold in his tongue. Lilia ignored the prince’s outlandish behavior, making a mental note to correct it later. At the present she had something more important to focus on. The Japanese man looked at her bashfully with soft eyes and a faint smile. 

 

“It’s alright, I—”

 

“No,” she interrupted with a shake of her head. “It is not ‘alright.’ I did not give you a chance to explain what had happened and was all too ready to believe the worst. You see, I too have the prince’s best interests at heart and at the time I didn’t believe you were a part of that.

 

Tell me, Katsuki Yuuri, why would you confess to such false accusations?”

 

“I didn’t want Vict—Prince Victor to suffer any consequences.”

 

Lilia gave a pleasant hum in response. “Sacrificing one’s self for the good of another, what would you call that?”

 

“Foolishness?” Yuuri responded tentatively. The look on his face made it clear he didn’t believe the words he said but instead was offering what he thought she wanted to hear.

 

“Love,” Victor interrupted. He cocked his head to the side and drew the baroness’ eyes over to him. “I would call that love.”

 

“I would be inclined to agree, your highness,” she responded with a genuine smile. “Katsuki Yuuri, if you will accept my apologies for what has transpired between us, I should like to bring you  _ both _ back to the palace. I believe it is time for the Grand Prix to come to a close.”

 

Yuuri watched the baroness with an intense curiosity as if he was waiting for her to take her invitation back. He had not been expecting to be so readily welcomed back when not a day before she had believed him to be unfaithful to the prince. It was her smile that gave him a sense of understanding, he realized the truth in her words. “I accept.”

 

“Very well then. Your highness, I believe it is time you announce your engagement...and perhaps find your fiancè a proper ring.”

 

> **A Royal Engagement? HRH Spotted On One Knee!**
> 
> **—** Aiden Rippen,  _ The Daily Crown _
> 
> _ It has been a wild 24 hours! From the breaking Katsuki scandal to the disappearance of the prince, the kingdom is in an uproar. After a source spotted HRH roaming around Hasetsu, we here at  _ The Crown _ received a tip that the prince made it to Yuu-topia, the onsen run by Katsuki Yuuri’s family. Excited? Wait there’s more! _
> 
>  
> 
> _ The Hasetsu police department was called to alert them of the missing prince’s location but when they arrived they had to hold half of the city back in the streets who had spotted the prince and followed him. Hundreds of photos have been posted across various social media platforms depicting Prince Victor down on one knee in front of Katsuki Yuuri. It doesn’t take an investigative reporter to know what that means! Even more photos have surfaced of what is most definitely a kiss (or several!) between the prince and Katsuki as they were clearly so overcome with joy that they tackled each other to the ground.  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ The pair then went inside the onsen and could not be reached for comment.  _
> 
>  
> 
> **_Engagement Confirmation? Phichit Chulanont Tweets Congratulations_ **
> 
>  
> 
> **_Publicity Stunt or Act of True Love? HRH’s Possible Engagement_ **
> 
>   
>    
> 

~♕~

 

Victor had always made a point to go in the throne room as little as possible until he became king. As a small child, the prince had once believed that the throne room was in fact his father’s bedroom due to the exorbitant amount of time he would spend there. Meetings with foreign kingdom diplomats, conferences with the royal council, and time spent pouring over legislature were all spent in the grand office. Victor’s memories of the times he did venture into the throne room only left a poor taste in his mouth. He could clearly remember when he would be called in to be reprimanded by the royal council for not acting as a prince should, or to learn that he would have to forgo yet another part of his childhood in order to take on another lesson. 

 

While Lilia had offered her apology alongside her approval of the prince’s engagement, there were still several members of the royal council _ — _ along with the king and queen themselves _ — _ that would need convincing. Which is how, despite his distaste for the throne room, Victor came to be kneeling on the floor in front of his parents with Yuuri at his side. King Dmitriviech and his wife, Queen Alina, sat on two golden thrones staring down at them, the royal council lined up on one side of a long conference table juxtaposed to the throne platform. 

 

Yuuri knelt beside Victor, his heart counting microseconds as he stole a look at the rest of the royal family. He had seen the king and queen on television before, or gracing the covers of magazines. Just as he had known Victor’s appearance before meeting him, he recognized the monarchs immediately but after knowing, and loving, Victor he saw parts of his future husband in each of his parents. The prince might have been the spitting image of his father if it weren’t for his mother’s heart shaped mouth and sparkling azure eyes that Victor shared. Still, Yuuri could see so much of his prince in the king, who stared down at them with expectation clearly visible on his countenance. 

 

Victor stood up, pulling Yuuri along with him and stepped forward to address his parents, squeezing his fiancé’s hand before leaving him. He looked regal, especially compared to the state in which he had shown up at the onsen the day before. Dressed in one of his royal suits, his hair styled, and his posture exuding confidence not one person could doubt that he was ready to become king. 

 

“Good morning, Vitya, I’ve heard you have something to share with us,” prodded Alina. She eyed the man beside her son curiously, knowing full well the details of the scandal that had broken the night before. Her husband said nothing, his chin propped on his fist as he listened. 

 

“Mother, father,” Victor nodded to each of his parents as he spoke, “I would like to formally introduce you to Katsuki Yuuri, the Hasetsu candidate of the Grand Prix.”

 

A member of the royal council, a gruff older man that Yuuri recognized as the Speaker of the King, Yakov Feltsman, interrupted. “Pardon me, your highness, but I believe Katsuki Yuuri was banished from the competition due to his unfaithfulness to the crown and to you, sire.”

 

Victor nodded, he had expected this. “You are correct, Feltsman. Unfortunately the events that have been made public are untrue.”

 

The prince paused and offered his hand once more to Yuuri, who accepted as he came to stand beside Victor. “Katsuki Yuuri was caught out of his room past curfew, on his way back from visiting with me. It is hard getting to know someone when every time you are with them, there are nine other men in the room all vying for your attentions. Tell me, Feltsman, when you courted the baroness were you doing so with a dozen other men?”

 

The Speaker gave no response and out of the corner of Victor’s eye, he spotted his father grin. Taking this as encouragement, he continued. 

 

“I met Katsuki Yuuri the night of the masquerade, we ventured off together and he failed to recognize me as the crown prince. While his observational skills may be lacking, we were able to meet as equals and upon meeting one another again in the Grand Prix he never failed to treat me as a person. He has love for his kingdom but he has no love for my crown or my title, only the man underneath it. 

 

I have proposed to Yuuri and he has accepted my offer. With your blessing, I would like to call off the Grand Prix. There is no need for the others to court me when I have already fallen in love.”

 

He finished his speech strong, pressing his lips together in a thin line as he awaited his parent’s response. Victor squeezed Yuuri’s hand once more and his fiancé returned the gesture, sneaking him a reassuring smile before directing his attentions back to the throne.

 

“Katsuki Yuuri,” the queen addressed the object of her son’s affections, “Is what my son says true? You must understand the weight of such an acceptance. To become a king consort will require a great effort on your part given your background.”

 

“I-I have faith in myself, your majesty,” Yuuri responded, his voice catching with nerves as he managed his response. 

 

“Your majesties, if I may, I would like to vouch for Katsuki Yuuri. His time spent in my care has served to demonstrate his abilities well. He is eager to learn and patient to understand, I have no doubt that he would make a fine consort to our future king.” Lilia stood from her seat with the council and gave a small bow to her king and queen, accompanied by an encouraging, though small, smile to Yuuri himself. 

 

King Dmitriviech frowned, nibbling at his lip in a way that Yuuri found familiar after seeing Victor do the same when faced with a problem. “I accept your endorsement, Baroness Baranovskaya however just a day ago Katsuki Yuuri’s name was blasphemed across the entire kingdom due to false accusations from Duke Leroy, a false confession from Katsuki himself, and then he was banished at  _ your _ hand.”

 

“Perhaps we strip the duke of his title and come forward about the nature of our relationship,” Victor suggested. His father nodded in agreement.

 

“Yes, that would serve to restore Katsuki’s honor and properly punish Duke Leroy. It’s a shame, I rather like his father and I had hoped that his son might be a good match for you, Vitya.”

 

“Your majesty,” Yuuri interjected, surprised at how firm his voice carried across the room. All eyes snapped toward him, doing nothing to help in subsiding his nerves, yet still he pressed on. “Duke Leroy believed he was doing the right thing, as did the Baroness Baranovskaya. It was I who gave a false confession, I believed that I would be protecting Vic—Prince Victor if I kept his involvement with me unknown. Each in our own way—the duke, the baroness, and myself—we were only trying to protect the crown. 

 

I...cannot take back what has happened, but I can promise to always stay by the prince’s side and prove my worth. I don’t think that the JJ—I mean, the duke, deserves to be stripped of his title. He is...obnoxious but I don’t think he is bad.”

 

When finished, Yuuri felt a firm squeeze on his hand and his eyes found their way to Victor who beamed at him with pride. An expression which echoed in his mother’s face and a bit in the king’s as well, though he seemed more surprised than anything at the man’s words. 

 

The king and his wife shared a look, a silent conversation between them in the room filled with people. “Every strong king needs someone by his side to remind him of his convictions. Your compassion speaks strongly for your character, Katsuki Yuuri. The kingdom will be lucky to have you as their king consort.”

 

Alina’s words filled Yuuri with a myriad of positive emotions, joy and relief prominent among them as Victor broke his princely façade and pulled him into a tight embrace. The prince kissed him, in front of his parents and the entire royal council, which brought a chuckle from the king as he called their conference to its close.

 

“You are all dismissed, it seems we have a wedding to plan.”

 

> **_Grand Prix Comes to a Close, Royal Wedding Announced!_ **
> 
> _ —Tessa Scott, The Royal Insider _
> 
> _ It has been announced that the Grand Prix will come to a close, nearly two whole weeks before previously scheduled. Sources at the palace have confirmed that the Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov is engaged to Katsuki Yuuri. Their wedding will take place just a week before the prince’s upcoming coronation though no other details have been disclosed.  _
> 
>  
> 
> _ Phichit Chulanont, heir to the Cricetinae Media empire and former Grand Prix candidate was available to comment.  _
> 
> _ “Yuuri and Victor fell in love early in the competition, we were all just waiting for them to tell each other! I couldn’t be happier for my best friend!” _
> 
>  
> 
> _ It seems this whirlwind romance might have had more to it than what the public was given, but either way the kingdom has already fallen in love with the future king consort.  _
> 
>  
> 
> **_10 Notable Names You Can Expect to See at the Royal Wedding_ **
> 
>  
> 
> **_It’s All In the Name, Katsuki Yuuri’s Official Royal Title_ **

 

~♕~

 

“Yuuri, are you ready?”

 

Yuuri answered Phichit’s question with a nod, he was smiling so hard that his cheeks ached and he could barely make conversation. A royal wedding was certainly a grand ordeal, the only thing that Yuuri could compare it to was the day of the masquerade, which was fitting given that was the night that had started him on this path. Once again he had been scrubbed thoroughly, not just by Minako who had become his official royal advisor, but by an entire team of servants delighted to prepare the prince’s groom. His hair was properly styled even if he knew it would likely fall apart by the reception, Yuuri’s nerves had him reaching toward his hair more than usual. 

 

Phichit had helped to design his wedding clothes, a crisp white tuxedo with the silver chrysanthemum pendant sewn onto his lapel beside a handsome boutonnière made with a lily. Giving himself one last look in the mirror, Yuuri took a deep breath and turned to his friend with a more determined affirmation. 

 

“I’m ready.”

 

“Let’s go see your prince.”

 

> **Prince Katsuki** @KatsuFan178
> 
> Nothing but respect for MY King of TI #KingYuuri #PrinceYuuri
> 
>  
> 
> **We Love Victuuri** @GrandPrixShips
> 
> Us: Prince Yuuri is the best
> 
> Them: Uh, actually he’s a prince consort until the coronation, then he’s
> 
> Us: PRINCE YUURI! PRINCE YUURI!
> 
>  
> 
> **Makkachin** @ActuallyMakka
> 
> Woof! Woof woof woof! Yip!
> 
> (I’m so happy my dad is getting married today! I love my new dad! Yay!)
> 
>  
> 
> **Phichit Chulanont ✔** @phichit+chu
> 
> My best friend is getting married today! This royal groom is gonna look FIERCE!

 

~♕~

 

A royal wedding was no small feat. A royal wedding planned and executed in the span of less than a month was an even greater ordeal, yet somehow it had all come together. Yuuri had insisted on a small event, wanting to enjoy the day without feeling thousands of eyes upon him, while the royal council argued that royal weddings were intended to be large, over-the-top events with plenty of grandeur.

 

Victor found it amusing when the council got their first taste of the force that was Katsuki Yuuri, the man was more stubborn and determined than the prince—which only served to confirm that their reign over the kingdom would be a time of great change. Already Yuuri had begun to take an interest in some of the politics they would address together. Working with Queen Alina, he pushed to bring more tourism into Hasetsu. The project received a large donation from their most surprising investor, Duke Jean-Jacques Leroy, who offered to grant money to the province for restoration as an olive branch to his future kings.

 

In the end it hadn’t surprised the prince when Yuuri won his battle, they planned for a small wedding in the ballroom where Victor first laid eyes on his fiancé. Yuuri had met the council halfway by allowing full media coverage. The media heir himself, Phichit, had become the unofficial royal wedding planner, often enlisting Christophe as his assistant. Together they transformed the marble room into an ethereal space filled with flowing organza, beautiful lace accents, and enough lilies to rival the royal garden. 

 

Underneath a flowering archway, Prince Victor stood dressed in his royal suit, a crisp white ensemble accented with golden epaulettes and several medals. He had commissioned a silversmith to make him a chrysanthemum pendant identical to Yuuri’s and it was sewn on his chest beside the other accoutrements. 

 

Christophe stood beside him, there had been no question of who the prince would want as his best man on such an important day, and Phichit walked down the aisle as Yuuri’s best man, grinning broadly at Victor as he took his position. When a soft piano ballad began to play, all in attendance stood as the prince’s groom made his entrance from the top of the staircase. 

 

Yuuri was ethereal and beautiful in ways that Victor would never find words to describe, his presence brought welcome tears to the prince’s eyes as he watched his fiancé make his way to stand beside him. It took every ounce of self control to refrain from pulling him into an embrace and kissing him senselessly, the pair of kings would go on to be well known for frequent public displays of affection. 

 

“Continue to meet me where I am, and stay true to who you are. I ask you to have more faith in myself than I do and be my love until the very end. You’ve taught me what love is. You are the first person I’ve wanted to hold onto, now I know what love is and it has made me stronger.”

 

“Stay close to me, stay by my side no matter what the circumstances are. I will always be here to protect you. You have brought something new into my life, a love that I never believed was possible. You make me more than a prince, or a king, you allow me to be just as I am.”

 

Their vows were an affirmation of their love, Yuuri spoke his first in fear that after hearing Victor’s he would be too overwhelmed with emotion to speak. He had been right. When the prince finished with “just as I am,” the tears had begun to lightly trickle down Yuuri’s face. He was thankful he had dissuaded his preparation team from using mascara on him. 

 

“Do you, Katsuki Yuuri, take His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

 

“I do.”

 

“Do you, Your Royal Highness, Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov, take Katsuki Yuuri to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

 

“I do.”

 

Yuri brought forward the rings, simple gold bands that gleamed under the lights. The couple never broke eye contact as they slipped the rings onto one another's fingers. It felt real, having the weight of the ring there to remind them that in spite of everything standing in their way, somehow they found each other. Against all odds they had fallen in love and now they stood in front of their friends and family as they promised themselves to each other.

 

“I now pronounce you—“

 

They never heard the priest. Victor’s lips were upon Yuuri before they could be introduced as husbands, and the entire congregation supported them with cheers as Yuuri took charge of the kiss and dipped the prince backwards. 

 

In that moment, there were three things that Katsuki Yuuri knew to be true. 

 

One, he was now officially married to the crown prince of Terra Incognita, who he had been in love with in some form or another since he was twelve years old. 

 

Two, he loved Victor with all of his heart, body, and soul. There was nothing that could tear them apart again, they were bound to each other and he would have it no other way. 

 

The third thing, which was arguably the most important—

 

Katsuki Yuuri could kiss the prince whenever he pleased.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so our story comes to a close. 
> 
> Thank you to the people behind YOI Royalty Week, it was a phenomenal experience getting to participate this year! I've always been the one to watch from the sidelines so getting to put my work out there was surreal. 
> 
> Thank you to FromStarlightToDust for helping me through writer's block, late nights, and your amazing support! I hope you know how appreciated you are! 
> 
> Thank YOU for sticking with this story to its conclusion and for all your phenomenal support and feedback. This fic was written on my phone at my work desk, on my tablet at the DMV, and late into the night to be ready for the next day. It has been so wonderful getting to write this story finally and this chapter was hard to write because I felt there was so much left to say. Which is why-
> 
> I'll be writing a few one shots over the next few weeks, maybe some behind the scenes Victuuri moments from the Grand Prix, Victor's coronation, and the wedding night. I suppose I'm just not that great at goodbyes! 
> 
> I'll be posting the ficlets on my Tumblr (TheWaywardSong) along with the art I've been working on.


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